Advertisement

'I was finding it extremely difficult to cope'

Parentline is a helpline for parents, staffed by trained volunteers, which has been running for o...

Share this article

09.53 26 Sep 2019


'I was finding it extremely difficult to cope'


Listen to this episode


Share this article

09.53 26 Sep 2019


Parentline is a helpline for parents, staffed by trained volunteers, which has been running for over 30 years.

Almost a fifth of the calls they received last year related to aggression in children and teens, which sometimes involved the physcial abuse of parents.

Other common queries relate to new babies but CEO, Rita O'Reilly, says they're getting an increasing number of calls from grandparents.

The recession led to a rise in the number of households with three generations living under one roof.

There are also grandparents who have assumed the role, formally or informally, of the primary carer.

But what is it like for the people who work at Parentline and what are the human stories behind the 3,000 calls they deal with every year.

Newstalk reporter, Aideen Finngean, has visited their call centre on North Brunswick Street in Dublin to find out.

 


Read more about

Aggression In Children Aideen Finnegan Charity Grandparents Irish Radio Newstalk ParentLine Parenting Post Natal Depression Primary Carer Radio Rita O’Reilly Teenage Aggression The Pat Kenny Show Volunteering

Related Episodes

The Science of the Large Hadro...

00:12:21

The Science of the Large Hadron Collider

Show Me The Science With Luke O'Neill

00:12:21


Firms attempting to undermine...

00:03:53

Firms attempting to undermine My Future Fund auto-enrolment pension

Newstalk Breakfast

00:03:53


Call for improved heating in r...

00:05:46

Call for improved heating in rental properties

Newstalk Breakfast

00:05:46


Breakfast Briefing Newspaper R...

00:10:34

Breakfast Briefing Newspaper Review November 20th 2025

Breakfast Briefing

00:10:34