Yvonne Tiernan : The mindful observer

Topics covered: Adolescence, preteens, parenting, boundaries, connection, communication, friendships, resilience, smartphones, internet access, childhood development and growing independence.For this week's Real Take, I'm dipping into the Ready to Be Real archive and sharing an extract from a conversation I had with psychotherapist Richard Hogan in April 2025. Richard specialises in working with families and is the author of two brilliant books, Parenting the Screenager and Home Is Where the Start Is. He's also a father of three daughters, so he brings both his professional knowledge and personal experience to the conversation. As a Mom of a nine-year-old boy and an almost five-year-old girl, this is a subject that's very close to my heart. So far, we've managed to avoid introducing personal smart devices (to our kids!) in our home, but I'm very conscious that there are challenges ahead as our children get older. In this extract, Richard talks about adolescence, the changes children experience as they grow, and the importance of maintaining a strong connection with them through those years. He explains why boundaries are so important, shares some lovely personal stories about parenting his own daughters, and talks about helping children navigate friendships and the inevitable challenges of growing up. One of the things that really stayed with me was his advice around encouraging children to have wide friendship circles and plenty of interests and activities outside the online world. It's such an important reminder of the value of real-world connection and giving our children a strong foundation as they grow. Following on from my recent conversation with Mick Moran of Hotline.ie about protecting our children online, I thought this was a particularly relevant conversation to revisit. Listen to the full conversationRichard Hogan: Adolescence – Preteen and Teenager (April 2025) In the full conversation, we explore adolescence and the preteen years in much greater detail, including communication, parenting boundaries, friendships, healthy habits, masculinity, online influences, pornography and the importance of creating a safe and supportive home environment. Also highly recommendedMick Moran: Protecting Our Children Online (October 2026) More conversations from the Ready to Be Real archiveRichard Hogan: Anxiety in Kids and Teenagers (January 2024) Debbie Cullinane: Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (March 2024) Useful resources for parents CyberSafeKids An Irish charity offering research, education and practical advice to help children and parents navigate the online world more safely. https://www.cybersafekids.ie Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland A parent-led movement supporting families and school communities who want to delay access to smartphones and social media. https://smartphonefree.ie Webwise Ireland's online safety awareness centre, offering information and advice for parents, teachers and young people. https://www.webwise.ie If you found this conversation useful, please consider sharing it with another parent or someone who might benefit from hearing it. And if you're enjoying Ready to Be Real, following the podcast and leaving a rating or review really helps. Thanks so much, as always, for listening and for your support. Go raibh míle maith agaibh! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered: Online safety, childhood, parenting, smartphones, social media, gaming, Roblox, algorithms, manipulation, digital autonomy, grooming, sextortion, exploitation, CSAM, pornography, harmful content, suicide, sharenting, digital literacy, boundaries, notifications, personal responsibility, screen time, peer pressure, parental responsibility, online reporting. CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse material, sexual exploitation, grooming, sextortion, pornography, suicide and other disturbing subjects. It is intended for adult listeners and is not suitable for children. My guest in this episode is Mick Moran, CEO of Hotline.ie, Ireland's national reporting centre for suspected illegal online content, particularly child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He spent 34 years in An Garda Síochána before joining Hotline.ie. Recorded during the summer of 2026, this is a frank and, at times, deeply unsettling conversation about the online world we're living in and what it means for our children. A significant part of our conversation focuses on parenting. When should children get their first smartphone? Are we putting them at a disadvantage by delaying access to them? This isn't about judging parents or pretending there are easy answers. As a mother of two young kids, I'm very aware that many of these decisions are ahead of me too. And if this episode resonated with you, I suggest you listen to my conversations with psychotherapist Richard Hogan, in particular the one on Adolescence. Resources and support Hotline.ie - Irish Internet Hotline Ireland's national reporting centre where members of the public can securely, anonymously and confidentially report suspected illegal online content, especially child sexual abuse material. https://hotline.ie CyberSafeKids An Irish charity providing research, education and practical online safety resources for children, parents and schools. https://www.cybersafekids.ie Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland A parent-led movement supporting families and school communities who want to delay children's access to smartphones and social media. https://smartphonefree.ie Webwise Ireland's online safety awareness centre, offering information and educational resources on social media, gaming, cyberbullying, privacy and digital wellbeing. https://www.webwise.ie ISPCC / Childline Confidential support for children and young people, including those affected by harmful online experiences. https://www.ispcc.ie https://www.childline.ie Childline: 1800 66 66 66 (24-hour support). National Parents Council Advice, education and support for parents, including guidance on children's online safety and wellbeing. https://www.npc.ie Irish Safer Internet Centre Hotline.ie is a member of the Irish Safer Internet Centre alongside Webwise, ISPCC Childline and the National Parents Council. https://hotline.ie/safer-internet-centre/ The 4 Cs of online risk Mick refers to the CO:RE 4 Cs framework, which identifies four broad categories of online risk to children: Content - Exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate online material. Contact - Harmful interactions with others online, including grooming and unwanted contact. Conduct - Harmful online behaviour involving children, including cyberbullying, harassment and harmful peer interactions. Contract - Commercial and transactional risks, including scams, fraud, data exploitation and manipulative marketing. Books mentioned : The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt Explores the impact of smartphones, social media and changes in childhood on young people's mental health and development. The Amazing Generation - Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price A companion book aimed at children aged approximately 9-12, encouraging healthier relationships with technology and more freedom, connection and adventure in the real world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Real Take, Majella O'Donnell shares her personal experience of the ten weeks she spent as an inpatient in St John of God Hospital in 2024, when she became seriously unwell with depression. She speaks about the fear and vulnerability she experienced, and she also discusses medication, treatment and the practical tools she learned during her time in hospital, including recognising anxiety, understanding her body's fight-or-flight response and finding ways to support herself. This is just one part of a much wider conversation. In the full episode....Majella O'Donnell: Completely Herself, we also explore her childhood, her first marriage, motherhood, meeting Daniel and their life together, and how she continues to manage her mental health today. Support and resources If you're struggling with your mental health, please reach out. You don't have to face it alone. Your GP is a good place to start, and the following organisations offer support in Ireland. Aware Support and information for people experiencing depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, and for their loved ones. Freephone: 1800 80 48 48 Available daily, 10am–10pm www.aware.ie Samaritans Confidential, non-judgemental emotional support, available 24 hours a day. Freephone: 116 123 www.samaritans.ie Text About It Free, confidential text support, available 24/7. Text HELLO to 50808 www.textaboutit.ie Pieta Support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and those affected by suicide. 24-hour crisis helpline: 1800 247 247 Text HELP to 51444 (standard message rates apply) www.pieta.ie HSE Mental Health Services Information about mental health difficulties, treatment options and accessing support. www2.hse.ie/mental-health/ If you need urgent help : Contact your GP or out-of-hours GP service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department. A note about medication and treatment : Majella shares her own experience of psychiatric care, including changes to medication during her hospital stay. This conversation reflects her personal experience and is not intended as medical advice. Please speak to your GP or treating clinician before making any changes to prescribed medication. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered: Childhood, family, fear and safety, motherhood, relationships, depression, psychiatric care, medication, ADHD, breast cancer, ​mental health​, identity​, vulnerability, recovery, love, marriage and life with Daniel. My guest in this episode is mental health advocate and TV personality Majella O’Donnell, in what is her very first podcast conversation. Majella is a mother of two and grandmother of four, and she has been married to singer Daniel O’Donnell for almost 24 years. In this conversation, Majella speaks with extraordinary honesty about her life and, in particular, her experience of living with depression. She reflects on her childhood and ​in particular her relationship with her father, describing an upbringing in which she lived with fear and, as she now understands it, in an almost constant state of fight or flight. We talk about motherhood and the times she struggled, relationships, her cancer diagnosis, and the love, humour and independence at the heart of her marriage to Daniel. At the centre of our conversation is the severe depression Majella experienced and the ten weeks she spent as an inpatient in St John of God Hospital​ in 2024. She describes what it felt like when depression took away her ability to function and make even the simplest decisions and what led her to seek professional help. Majella also speaks openly about medication and the process, under medical care, of changing treatment and eventually finding a combination that worked for her. One of the striking things about her experience is that depression didn't only appear when life was difficult. She talks about becoming unwell at a time when she was happy, loved and grateful for the life she had​...a powerful reminder that mental illness doesn't always have an obvious explanation. Today, Majella is in a much better place. She has a greater understanding of herself and what she needs to protect her mental health, and she is using her own experience to encourage more honest conversations about depression. This is a deeply personal conversation about childhood, fear, love, illness, identity, getting help and finding your way back to yourself. And above all, it's Majella​...completely herself. A note on this episode​ : Majella discusses her personal experience of antidepressant medication. This is one person's lived experience and should not be taken as medical advice. If you have questions or concerns about your own medication or treatment, please speak to your GP, psychiatrist or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without medical guidance. Support and resources​ : If anything discussed in this episode affects you, support is available. Samaritans Ireland Freephone 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Email: [email protected] Confidential, non-judgemental emotional support for anyone who is struggling to cope. Text About It Free-text HELLO to 50808, 24 hours a day. A free, anonymous text service for anyone experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis. Pieta Freephone 1800 247 247, 24 hours a day. Text HELP to 51444. Standard message rates may apply. Support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and for those bereaved by suicide. Aware Freephone 1800 80 48 48, seven days a week, 10am-10pm. Information and support for people experiencing depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mood-related difficulties, as well as family and friends. HSE ​- Your Mental Health For information on mental health services and supports in Ireland, contact the Your Mental Health information line on 1800 111 888 or speak to your GP. If you or someone else is in immediate danger or needs emergency medical assistance, call 112 or 999 or go to your nearest Emergency Department. Please reach out. You don't have to struggle alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this short extract from my conversation with eco-builder and author Harrison Gardner, he talks about the systems we rely on every day, why convenience so often wins, and the value of having a backup when the systems we take for granted, don't work as expected. The full conversation,​ Harrison Gardner: How Prepared Are You?, is available now wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.