Recommendations for new and/or expanded topics arising from consultations with parents

In contrast to the briefing for the expert stakeholders on the advisory panels – who

had been asked to consider emerging rather than established topics – the parent

focus groups were open to all topics. This means that some of what the parents

discussed were topics already earmarked for inclusion in the survey, such as

childcare, financial strain, work-life balance, support from extended family, and

screen-time; but their emergence in the parental discussions reinforces their

importance for this wave.

There were, however, some specific issues that emerged quite strongly in the parent

focus groups and which the DCEDIY team recommends adding or expanding in the

survey for this wave. These are:

Picky eating: This was one of the most universal themes; it impacted the quality of

the child’s diet, caused parents a great deal of stress, and contributed to food waste

in a context where healthy food was seen as expensive (see the health chapter for

further discussion).

Difficulty getting GP appointments: This came up for a number of parents in the

second group. While there is an existing question on unmet need due to being unable

to get an appointment, the feedback from the parents was that they were using

emergency services such as out-of-hours clinics, emergency departments and VHI

clinics as a replacement for GP care rather than letting the child go without care (see

health chapter for further discussion).

Participation in organised activities: A number of parents referred to enrolling the

child in regular organised activities such as sports clubs, as well as bringing them to

one-off events such as football matches or a pantomime. While such questions have

been used before in Growing Up in Ireland with older cohorts, they weren’t

previously used for children as young as 3 years – however, parents felt that such

activities were important for their child’s development, and enjoyment, but lamented

how costly they were (see chapter on early learning and care for further discussion).

Outdoor play: There were several references to children’s enjoyment of outdoor play,

and how parents valued it as a chance for children to get some physical exercise

instead of screen-time – it was, however, weather and light dependent. There is an

existing question from Cohort 08 at 3 about the household’s access to an outdoor

space but the survey did not previously ask about how often it was used. The value

of outdoor play overlaps with the topic of ‘risky play’, which emerged from the

consultations with the expert advisory panel and is also recommended as a new topic

(see chapter on early learning and care for further discussion).

Sibling relationships: Much of what was discussed in relation to how 3-year-olds got

on with siblings was negative. Some of the interactions appeared related to the more

general theme of the 3-year-old strongly expressing their preferences and reacting

negatively when these were not met. While there is an existing, single question on

how well the child gets on with siblings, the feedback from the parent focus groups

suggest that interactions are more complex and potentially disruptive to the family

dynamic than is currently captured in a single question (see chapter on family

relationships for further discussion).

It is also interesting to note that parents made frequent references to aspects of their

children’s temperament and how that affected both their individual interactions and

wider family life. Positive descriptions included ‘loving’, ‘curious’, ‘energetic’ but there

were also some negative traits such as ‘fussy’, ‘moody’, and ‘jealous’. Three-year-olds

having strong opinions on what they liked or did not like, and how those opinions

were prone to change was also a common theme among the parents. While

temperament is already part of the recommended content as a continuation of

previous waves of Growing Up in Ireland, it is a useful reminder that it remains a key

feature of living with and parenting a 3-year-old.

1.9 Consultations with Research and Policy Experts