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

First Up 6th November 2026

00:05:59

First Up 6th November 2026

First Up – A GoLoud Original By Newstalk

00:05:59


Friday business headlines

00:07:14

Friday business headlines

Breakfast Business With Joe Lynam

00:07:14


Movies and TV: Wild Horse 9, G...

00:16:58

Movies and TV: Wild Horse 9, Godzilla Minus Zero, Dexter Resurrection

The Hard Shoulder

00:16:58


Is Ireland prepared for the EU...

00:06:50

Is Ireland prepared for the EU Presidency meetings?

The Hard Shoulder

00:06:50