Baby massages, cooking with children and free library initiative

Spring into Storytime is an online initiative by Irish Public Libraries featuring authors and librarians reading children’s books by Irish writers. Stories can be filtered by age, category and language, and there are more than 100 titles to choose from. From The shy rabbit to Lighthouse Joey and the Pooka Party, there are hours of stories to enjoy. Log in to libraryireland.ie to enjoy bedtime stories and snuggles with your child.

Baby massage

Learning the basics of infant massage can be a great way to build a bond with your new baby. It can also be therapeutic, with many parents finding it helps improve problems such as colic and trapped wind.

Rachel O’Sullivan is a Registered Children’s Massage Instructor who teaches group classes in Mahon Point Shopping Centre. These last for five consecutive weeks and are suitable for babies from birth to pre-crawling.

Classes last up to two hours and focus on a new set of strokes on a different part of the body each week. Time is also spent chatting with other parents over tea and coffee, as well as relevant talks about child development.

The course costs €130 and most health insurance policies reimburse up to €100. Find out more by visiting babychi.net.

Weather wear

To keep your little one snug and protected from the worst of winter weather, check out Irish children’s footwear and clothing brand Goose & Gander. Its colorful overalls, raincoats, and wellies are designed for kids who love to jump puddles and explore the outdoors in any weather.

All products are windproof and waterproof, and the raincoats have a detachable hood and pockets. They’re made from soft, washable fabrics and lined with fleece to keep your kids warm as they splash around in muddy puddles. See gooseandgander.ie.

ADHD challenged

Parenting a child with ADHD has its challenges. Challenges that can make parents feel impoverished and in need of support. ADHD Ireland is an organization that provides up-to-date information, resources and networking opportunities to people with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD, as well as professionals working to help people manage their ADHD.

This Friday, January 27, host a free online mindfulness class for parents. Held from 10am to 11am and hosted by mindfulness practitioner Denise Coleman, it will allow parents to step away from their worries and learn some stress relief techniques.

Tickets can be booked through eventbrite.ie.

Cooking courses

Children need to be equipped with the skills they will need to grow into happy, healthy adults. One such skill is the ability to cook for yourself. Jolene Cox is the Dublin-based award-winning food writer and cookbook author behind oneyummymummy.com.

Log in to see Jolene and her eight-year-old daughter Lils hosting an online parent-child cooking club.

For a monthly fee of €10 or an annual fee of €100, you and your children will have access to videos in which Lils and her mother demonstrate a series of easy-to-cook recipes. You’ll also be able to join weekly live cooking classes on Zoom, download a back catalog of printable recipes, watch tutorials that teach a variety of cooking skills, and use the meal planning and shopping list tools.

All recipes are simple and no-nonsense and designed to be fun for the whole family.