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Irish Times
4 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Nadine O'Regan: An only child is a lonely child? We're sure about our decision not to try again
The other day our little boy had his first trial run at Montessori with me in tow to encourage him. He picked out a doll from a selection in a cart in the middle of the toy-filled room, dressed her in some snazzy going-out gear, waved his fellow toddlers goodbye and promptly tried to leave with her. As far as he was concerned, that morning he didn't attend Montessori. He went to the 'baby shop', as he called it. The following weekend, in case he hadn't made his feelings clear enough, he pointed to our neighbour's child in their buggy. 'Mom, baby!' he said, turning to jab his finger in the direction of our house. There are lots of questions you wrestle with as a couple doing IVF . But one thing you never think of – or at least I didn't during that tough period – was how it might feel to have a baby, and then wake up one day to discover that your baby, now a sturdy, funny and determined toddler, thinks that you having a second child would be a great idea. I met my now husband just weeks before my 40th birthday. Everything we have been given since then has felt like a gift. I didn't necessarily expect to become a mother – I'd never spent much time thinking about having children before meeting my husband – but once it happened, it was life-changing. I miss aspects of my old life – the freedom to casually choose to go to a gig, read a book or travel chief among them – but as a friend said, 'There will be time for all of that again', and they're right. I am 100 per cent in my mom era and most of the time absolutely loving it. So it's been a surprise – and not of the good kind – to find that even when you think you've won, there are still losses on the way. An only child is a lonely child? I'd never heard that expression before having our baby. But it rings in my head now: the fear of what it means for him that he will be denied a sibling. Even though we're sure about our decision not to try again, with age as a determining factor, it remains a complex choice and a hard one. I'm one of five children, and I grew up taking the idea of having tons of siblings for granted. I know we're part of a trend. People are having children later and they are faced with more stressors than before: high mortgages or rents, the question of how to care for ageing parents, and far greater job insecurity. Small wonder that from being a rarity a generation ago, we one-child families are becoming a practical answer to the impossible question of how to live well in these times. And besides, we're lucky. We have the benefit of a large extended family, and for all that our little fellow might miss having a sibling, he has undivided attention from his parents (and by undivided I mean we're ridiculous), more possibilities financially and the space to develop at his own pace, without the potentially controlling effect of siblings. READ MORE [ Brianna Parkins: Growing up without siblings, I knew I was on to a good thing Opens in new window ] Our little boy also happens to live on a street in Dublin where the sense of community is enormous. Already he has friends – aged from a sparky two right up to a wise old 11 – knocking on the door every evening to ask if he can come out to play. Looking for me at 6pm? I'm often to be found marshalling a colourful squad of pint-sized balance bikers on the avenue in our cul-de-sac. I'm surprised by how much it reminds me of how I grew up in the 1980s, where, in our small clearing of houses in the countryside outside Skibbereen in west Cork, we'd spend long summer days kicking a ball around, fashioning goalposts from jumpers, playing hopscotch, picking blackberries, cycling bikes and going on exciting adventures, daring each other to climb up trees and jump from walls, and coming in at the end of the day sweaty and happy and thoroughly spent. [ June Shannon: Having children is expensive. Having them in Ireland is incredibly expensive Opens in new window ] At our neighbourhood street party in Dublin recently, flower decorations were wound around the trees, there were trestle tables heaped with platters of salad and cream cakes supplied by the neighbours, there was giant Jenga for the kids, a petting zoo and a bagpipes-led parade. There was an egg-and-spoon race, street bowling, a barbecue, a dog show and competition (all charges of favouritism hotly disputed) and a tug-of-war between odd and evenly-numbered houses. There was no kid there who didn't have a smile on their face at the end of the day. For the adults, a singsong went on well into the night. [ Why we need to bring back 'risky play' for children Opens in new window ] John McGahern has a line in one of his books, that happiness is best recognised in retrospect. That may be true. But it's also worth trying to recognise happiness in the present moment. There are many ways to find ties that bind. Sarah Moss returns next week
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
1-Year-Old Boy with ‘Droopy Eyes' Took a Hit from Aunt's Marijuana Vape Pen, Police Say
A Texas woman is facing a child endangerment charge after her 1-year-old nephew was allegedly exposed to marijuana Vianney Alyssa Acosta, 22, was arrested after deputies were called to a home in El Paso for a 'medical emergency involving a 1-year-old child who showed signs of narcotics exposure' Her nephew allegedly grabbed her THC vape pen off a nightstand and inhaled from it while in her bedroom, and he later tested positive for marijuana, authorities saidA Texas woman is facing a child endangerment charge after her 1-year-old nephew was allegedly exposed to marijuana while in her care. According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to a home in eastern El Paso for a "medical emergency involving a 1-year-old child who showed signs of narcotics exposure" on May 16. An arrest affidavit obtained by the El Paso Times and CBS 4 states that the toddler was having trouble breathing after smoking from a THC vape pen allegedly owned by Vianney Alyssa Acosta, 22. When deputies arrived at the scene, medics from the El Paso Fire Department were already treating the toddler, who was crying uncontrollably. The child "had droopy eyes and was trying to go to sleep," the affidavit states. Authorities stated that Acosta, the toddler's father and the toddler's grandmother were watching the boy while his mother was at work. The grandmother told investigators that the three adults were eating in the kitchen at around 2:45 p.m. when Acosta heard the toddler coughing in her bedroom and went to check on him, per the outlets. The affidavit adds that the toddler had a vape pen in his hands, and the grandmother told deputies that it belonged to Acosta. The child's father's statement differed slightly, as he told investigators that he was outside the home working on a car when deputies pulled up to the house. He said he "was not aware of the incident at the time," the affidavit adds. The grandmother later told him that the toddler had "hit a vape pen." Acosta then told deputies "right away ... that she had her THC vape somewhere in her room where she thought the victim couldn't reach it," the affidavit states, per the outlets. Deputies saw that the pen was kept on a nightstand that was about two feet tall, and the affidavit adds it "was out in the open with just miscellaneous items on top covering it." Acosta also told deputies that her nephew "has ways to get on the bed to reach out for things." Although the 22-year-old added to investigators that she did not see the toddler with the pen, she assumed he inhaled from it because "he was red; coughing and observed a little bit of smoke," per the affidavit. She also told the deputies she thought the vape pen was empty and not charged. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The child's father and deputies transported to a local hospital to get a urine sample, which later tested positive for THC, according to the affidavit. The Sheriff's Office also said that a case was also opened with Child Protective Services. Acosta was arrested and later charged with child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance on May 21, the sheriff's office said. She was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $6,000 bond, and the El Paso Times reported that she was released the same day after posting bail. In Texas, child endangerment carries a punishment of up to 2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and possession of a controlled substance (1 gram or less) also carries a punishment of up to 2 years in jail and another $10,000 fine. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
1-Year-Old Boy with ‘Droopy Eyes' Took a Hit from Aunt's Marijuana Vape Pen, Police Say
A Texas woman is facing a child endangerment charge after her 1-year-old nephew was allegedly exposed to marijuana Vianney Alyssa Acosta, 22, was arrested after deputies were called to a home in El Paso for a 'medical emergency involving a 1-year-old child who showed signs of narcotics exposure' Her nephew allegedly grabbed her THC vape pen off a nightstand and inhaled from it while in her bedroom, and he later tested positive for marijuana, authorities saidA Texas woman is facing a child endangerment charge after her 1-year-old nephew was allegedly exposed to marijuana while in her care. According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to a home in eastern El Paso for a "medical emergency involving a 1-year-old child who showed signs of narcotics exposure" on May 16. An arrest affidavit obtained by the El Paso Times and CBS 4 states that the toddler was having trouble breathing after smoking from a THC vape pen allegedly owned by Vianney Alyssa Acosta, 22. When deputies arrived at the scene, medics from the El Paso Fire Department were already treating the toddler, who was crying uncontrollably. The child "had droopy eyes and was trying to go to sleep," the affidavit states. Authorities stated that Acosta, the toddler's father and the toddler's grandmother were watching the boy while his mother was at work. The grandmother told investigators that the three adults were eating in the kitchen at around 2:45 p.m. when Acosta heard the toddler coughing in her bedroom and went to check on him, per the outlets. The affidavit adds that the toddler had a vape pen in his hands, and the grandmother told deputies that it belonged to Acosta. The child's father's statement differed slightly, as he told investigators that he was outside the home working on a car when deputies pulled up to the house. He said he "was not aware of the incident at the time," the affidavit adds. The grandmother later told him that the toddler had "hit a vape pen." Acosta then told deputies "right away ... that she had her THC vape somewhere in her room where she thought the victim couldn't reach it," the affidavit states, per the outlets. Deputies saw that the pen was kept on a nightstand that was about two feet tall, and the affidavit adds it "was out in the open with just miscellaneous items on top covering it." Acosta also told deputies that her nephew "has ways to get on the bed to reach out for things." Although the 22-year-old added to investigators that she did not see the toddler with the pen, she assumed he inhaled from it because "he was red; coughing and observed a little bit of smoke," per the affidavit. She also told the deputies she thought the vape pen was empty and not charged. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The child's father and deputies transported to a local hospital to get a urine sample, which later tested positive for THC, according to the affidavit. The Sheriff's Office also said that a case was also opened with Child Protective Services. Acosta was arrested and later charged with child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance on May 21, the sheriff's office said. She was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $6,000 bond, and the El Paso Times reported that she was released the same day after posting bail. In Texas, child endangerment carries a punishment of up to 2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and possession of a controlled substance (1 gram or less) also carries a punishment of up to 2 years in jail and another $10,000 fine. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Woman Says Her Daughter Has Never Met Her Dad. However, His Relatives Routinely See Her and Refuse to Call Her by Name
A mother is fed up with the family of her daughter's father refusing to call the 2-year-old girl by her Irish name She explained in a post on Mumsnet that they refer to her young child as "the wee one," while blaming their inability to spell the name The mom shared that her daughter is named "Caoimhe (keeva)"A mother is on the verge of confronting the family of her daughter's father about their refusal to use the child's birth name. The mom explained on the UK-based forum Mumsnet that the father of her 2-year-old daughter is 'not in the picture,' but his family sees the young girl almost every other week. She said her child has an Irish name that's 'probably one of the harder' ones to spell and pronounce. The mother said she 'immediately' learned how to spell it and has no concerns that the name could be an issue for her daughter in the future. She added that her 'unique' name and that of her two older children are sometimes misspelled, but eventually people learn to spell them. 'My issue is that her relatives (not mine) refuse to learn how to spell it and just refer to her as 'the wee one,' ' the mother said of her toddler's name. 'I easily picked up on this in their texts and didn't think too much of it. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! 'Accepted it really, but then, her Grandmother said to me 'oh he (her partner) saw a woman holding a child at the end of the road and stopped and said he thought it was Bella5C and the wee one,' ' the mom continued. 'She obviously heard herself as she then said to me when leaving, I call her the wee one because I don't know how to spell her name?' The mom confessed that she thinks the relatives are refusing to call her daughter by name because they don't like it. 'I can understand not spelling it in a text if you think you'll spell it wrong but to not say her name out loud and use that excuse is surely, a load of crap? Just looking for opinions really, although I may eventually say something,' she said. Many commenters reassured the mother that it isn't uncommon for people to refer to children as 'the wee one' until they're able to confidently pronounce and spell a child's name. 'I refer to lots of children as 'wee one'. Covers all eventualities, zero risk of it being wrong,' one person wrote. 'I think 'wee one' etc is a lot more common than you might think and probably nothing to do with the name,' another said. 'Buy dd a T-shirt or bag with her name.... Has she seen dd's [dear daughter's] name written down? Maybe she genuinely can't spell it and is too embarrassed to say,' a third chimed in. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Having also received many questions about the child's name, the mother decided to share that 'it's Caoimhe (keeva).' The revelation sparked many more comments from people admitting they would be puzzled about how to pronounce it. One person said, 'In Ireland, there is no 'correct' way to say Caoimhe, it depends on the accent whether it is like Keeva or Kweeva and it sounds pretty bad with an 'r' sound on the end that some English accents can't help adding, making it rhyme with beaver. I have a common enough name that some relatives still get wrong, it's annoying, but I'd let it go.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Another disagreed, saying, 'As someone who works with children and is faced with non-English names all the time, I think your family are being lazy and rude. It feels deliberate to me. "It really is very simple to learn how to pronounce a name. And if they struggle with the spelling, they can write it down and stick it to the fridge as a reminder,' the same person added. 'Beautiful name, by the way.' Read the original article on People
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Toddler dead after allegedly being hit by car in driveway of southwest Sydney home
A toddler has died after she was allegedly hit by a car in the driveway of a home in Sydney's southwest. The 18-month-old girl was allegedly struck in the driveway of a Villawood home on Saturday afternoon, with emergency services called to the scene at Culgoa Bend about 12pm. Officers were told the young girl was allegedly struck by a car driven by a 28-year-old woman. Paramedics treated the toddler at the scene before she was rushed The Children's Hospital at Westmead in a critical condition. However, the child died. The driver was taken to Westmead Hospital for mandatory testing, and a crime scene is set to be investigated by the Crash Investigation Unit.
