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.

Advertisement

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

Winners and Sinners

00:27:52

Winners and Sinners

The Hard Shoulder

00:27:52


Primary school teachers to beg...

00:11:00

Primary school teachers to begin industrial action on Monday

The Hard Shoulder

00:11:00


Sport with John Duggan: Build...

00:11:42

Sport with John Duggan: Build up to the next Ireland V Israel game

The Hard Shoulder

00:11:42


Bertie Ahern allegedly in talk...

00:08:42

Bertie Ahern allegedly in talks for mediator role in Drumcree

The Hard Shoulder

00:08:42