everymum

Welcome back to Everymum the podcast, I'm Aisling Keenan. When you imagine what parenting will look like, you tend to picture something linear: milestones ticked off, routines falling into place, a general sense that even when things are hard, they’re at least a bit predictable. But for many parents, that couldn’t be further from the reality. Today’s conversation is about what happens when the script you thought you were following no longer applies and how you find your footing when you’re navigating something far more complex, and far less understood. I’m joined by my lovely friend Caroline Foran, author and journalist, who’s here to talk about her experience parenting her son, and the journey to understanding his autism and PDA profile. PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance, a term that, for many, is still unfamiliar, and often misunderstood. In this episode, Caroline shares the long and sometimes frustrating process of seeking answers, and how a diagnosis can bring both clarity and a whole new set of questions. We talk about the emotional reality behind the labels: the guilt, the doubt, the advocacy, and the constant recalibration that comes with parenting a neurodivergent child. We also get into what PDA actually means in day-to-day life, why traditional parenting strategies often don’t work, and how shifting your approach can transform not just your child’s experience, but your relationship with them too. This is a conversation about letting go of expectations, learning to see your child for who they are, and finding a different kind of confidence as a parent, one that’s built not on control, but on understanding. Here’s Caroline, and I'll be back next week with more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is Dr Abigail Moore, a specialist children’s dentist and the founder of Happy Teeth, where she works exclusively with babies, children and teens to make dental care calmer, kinder, and far less scary for everyone involved (including nervous mams and dads!) She has years of experience helping anxious kids and overwhelmed parents with very big feelings about being in the dentist’s chair. In this episode, we’re answering the questions parents actually lie awake worrying about: when to bring your child to the dentist for the first time, how much toothpaste is too much toothpaste, whether baby teeth really matter, and why some kids seem to get cavities no matter what you do. We talk fluoride, sugar, night feeds, thumb-sucking, tooth grinding, and what to do when a child flat-out refuses to open their mouth.If you’ve ever felt confused, guilty, or slightly panicked about your child’s teeth, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Season 19 of Everymum, the podcast – I'm your host, Aisling Keenan and today’s episode is a deeply honest conversation about a subject that many families experience, but far fewer feel able to talk about openly: pregnancy loss. My guest is radio presenter Suzanne Kane, whose voice many people will recognise from the airwaves: She is warm, funny, and full of life. But in this conversation, Suzanne shares a much more personal side of her story, and actually through talking to her about it, it helped me feel better about my recent losses too. Together we chat about the emotional reality of pregnancy loss: the shock, the grief, the strange loneliness that can follow, and the complicated ways it can shape how you experience motherhood afterwards. Suzanne speaks with remarkable openness about what those moments were like for her. We talk about how experiences like this can change you as a parent and as a person, but this isn’t only a conversation about grief. It’s also about the realities of parenting and identity, about how motherhood changes you, the pressure many parents feel to get everything right, and the moments that remind you you’re not alone in the mess of it all. Suzanne brings honesty, humour and real vulnerability to this conversation, and I’m so grateful she was willing to share her story. Here’s my conversation with Suzanne Kane, enjoy it and I'll be back next week (and all season long!) with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Everymum the podcast, I'm Aisling Keenan. My guest this week is the wonderful and always lovely Jen Carroll, who many of you will know as her online persona, Jen's Journey. Jen has lived more life than most of us and she's only in her 30s. She's gone from deeply unhappy and having no self-esteem in a difficult relationship, to being a happy, confident homeowner and mother of one, who is inspiring people every day on her social channels. We go through Jen's full journey in this episode, from having her son in London, changing her life and documenting it all online, coming back to Ireland and having a ten year old now who lights up her life. Her story is so inspiring and she's just one of the most authentic people you could ever meet which I know is why so many people love following her online. This is an episode that would give anyone they hope they need to get through adversity and come out the other side to a much happier, safer and more fulfilled life. This is our last episode for season 18, what a great one to finish on! After a few weeks break we'll be back again with season 19 with even more brilliant guests, so join us then and a huge huge thank you for listening, as always. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to another episode of Everymum the podcast with me, Aisling Keenan. This week's episode is slightly different from our norm in the sense that we're covering a topic, a very important one, rather than discussing a guest's experience. The topic in question is that of religion as it relates to the education system, which can be at times divisive but should be discussed nevertheless. chatting to me about it is the lovely Laura Cunningham, who is always so up to date and informed about the topic, and always keeps up with the work of Education Equality Ireland, who do a lot in terms of informing and educating people on the issue. It's crunch time for me with this because Lydia is due to start school this coming September, and because we're not particularly religious (which is a roundabout way of saying we're not religious at all!) I'm facing a few years ahead of tricky questions and decisions about how best to see her through life in our local national school, where religion is still to the fore. Although Laura and I very much agree personally on the issue, it's important to say that having strong religious belief of any kind is incredibly important and valuable to so many people, and we very much agree that practicing whatever religion you choose should be encouraged and supported. We also chat about the primary schools survey which over 168,000 parents and educators responded to which asks various questions about the type of schooling children should receive. It went out to parents of school-age children and talks about co-ed or single sex school, religious patronage and which language parents would prefer their child to learn through. As I said, this topic can be decisive but it's important to have open discussion about it, so I hope you enjoy listening and I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.