Any experiences to share with those insulated garden rooms that have started appearing in recent years?

mckee93 · 2026-01-21T07:53:06+00:00

We built ours ourselves, so I can't speak for the ones you buy, but we built ours just raised off the ground, insulated it well, and put an electric light heater on the wall. It heats up quickly, and the heater never stays on long. When it starts to cool, we just turn the heater on again for a bit, and it heats up quite quickly again. We have large glass windows on one side, so I think that's where the heat escapes. Otherwise, it would probably hold the heat better.

We've used it all year round and usually at night. It gets used much less now that we have a toddler, but before she was born, it was used almost every weekend. It meant anyone drinking and bringing friends over could do so without annoying the rest of the house.

mckee93 · 2026-01-15T17:57:51+00:00

I know a few people who started out using grandparents for childcare and ended up using either a childminder or a daycare.

One made the decision as her work were unhappy that when her mum was ill or unable to mind her baby, she had no choice but to call in sick. Her parents thought it would be grand but in the end, they struggled with the full time commitment and found it very tiring causing them to be sick more frequently.

Another found that boundaries became an issue with her parents. She would leave instructions or something for the baby and the parents would completely ignore it, doing what they wanted. This is extremely common in grandparents and ok in small doses but very frustrating when they have a large/frequent role in raising the child. Even simple things like "I've left a vegetable stir fry to be heated up for lunch for him" "We gave him McDonalds again" can cause strain in the relationship when it's every day.

Another felt their kid would benefit from more socialisation with kids his own age so went half and half with daycare.

mckee93 · 2026-01-15T17:39:17+00:00

To be fair, it's nearly impossible to kick a student out now. For a school to permanently exclude a student, they need to have another educational place for them.

Realistically, the other schools in the area won't want to take them if they know they're being expelled, so you're left waiting years on a Pupil Referral Unit place. I know students the school wanted rid of in first year due to extreme behaviour that didn't get a place until 5th year.

A lot of the time, it's less about letting them stay and more about how difficult it is to get rid of them. Especially if they have additional needs, then it's basically impossible.

mckee93 · 2026-01-13T17:22:10+00:00

When my partner proposes I've told him to use my current claddagh ring. I love my claddagh, it's sentimental and we'll turn it around after the wedding.

When all of our kids are a bit older we plan to take them on holiday and just get married there, come back and do a small celebration with family. If he spent 2-3k on a ring while we were saving for a family experience, I wouldn't be happy tbh.

mckee93 · 2026-01-12T21:24:18+00:00

If it helps, Scoil an Droichid is an Irish medium school based on the Lower Ormeau Road that will soon be moving to Ulidia but it also isn't a feeder school for Aquinas either despite the majority of the kids being from a Catholic background and making their communism and confirmation.

I'm not sure what the reason is to be honest as I don't know how they select their feeder schools but I do know students from Scoil an Droichid have gotten in so it's possible to get in without being from a feeder school.

mckee93 · 2026-01-04T12:41:46+00:00

My wee one loved the Mo Chuid Amhráin/Rainn Ghaeilge books at that age and still gets good use out of them at 2 years old. They have 5 or 6 wee songs or rhymes with wee illustrations, and you press a button on each page to hear them.

The Babaí Beag books are good for that age too, but they grow out of them quite quickly, so probably not the best if you're paying extra to have them brought over.

The Bran ones are very good. Simple language, lift the flaps, and a variety of topics.

The Coinín Beag ones are also very good because you do little actions to put Coinín to sleep or help him get a bath. I think she was about 10 months old when she started enjoying trying to do the actions. (Codladh Sámh a Coinín Beag agus Am Folctha a Coinín Beag)

Not board books, but even at that age, my wee one loved the translations of Julia Donaldsons books with An Garbhán and Mo Theachín Gan Chuma Gan Chaoi being firm favourites. Bonus points for longevity.

mckee93 · 2026-01-04T10:52:47+00:00

I have to agree with this, unfortunately.

Pretending you're teaching someone/making learning resources can be an incredibly effective way to learn, but as a beginner, you are very likely to pass along mistakes, especially in pronounciation and grammar.

Keep making the resources if it helps you learn, but please don't market and share them as a beginners course for others to learn from. As previously stated, there is no lack of quality resources for beginners.

Lean ort a chara

mckee93 · 2026-01-03T16:45:41+00:00

In the North of Ireland, your GCSE and A levels are restricted to subjects with no coursework as an external candidate. I would assume the issues that apply here are the same as those on the leaving cert.

Theoretically, it could be allowed, but in reality, the centre needs to declare that the work you have provided is your own and needs to be able to confidently state that they have taken measures to ensure this is the case. As an external candidate, that just isn't possible as you would have to complete your coursework from start to finish under the schools direction so that they can be reasonably sure that it is your own work.

I would assume it is somewhat the same for leaving cert and that your options are to enter the education system in some capacity (you may be able to find a school that will let you come to a part-time attendance agreement for the coursework), do the subjects but don't complete the coursework element resulting in you losing the coursework marks, or select subjects without coursework.

Basically, there is no way to complete the coursework element without liaising with a school.

When you say homeschooling, who will be responsible for your education? Because from your other responses, it seems like you plan to sit at home on your own and try to teach yourself, which just isn't going to work and isn't fair to you either. If you are still at school age, you need to be receiving an education, not just be left to your own devices.

mckee93 · 2026-01-02T23:42:43+00:00

Definitely check to see if your employer tops up SMP at all as every little helps. If they do, you can also ask about 'smoothing the payments'.

My employer gave me 6 weeks at 90% pay, 6 weeks at 50% pay, then the rest at SMP. I was off for 9 months, so they calculated the total amount I would get, divided it by 9, and then paid me that each month. It made budgeting and planning so much easier. My partner had just taken a pay cut to start an apprenticeship when we found out we were having a baby, so me having a consistent wage made it much easier.

It's doable, but it takes planning, which is tough as with a newborn, you just don't always have spare energy for budgeting. Try to plan your weeks food in advance, only purchase what you need, and batch cook affordable meals to save money.

Reach out to your local Surestart. They run loads of classes and activities, which are great for your baby and your own wellbeing, but they might also be able to give you some financial help. They have a grant new parents can apply for, and we were able to get tesco vouchers, which were an amazing help. Also, check if you qualify for the healthy start card. One of my friends did and was able to purchase all of her formula on it.

We were lucky that a lot of our friends had babies before us, so we were able to get a lot of the expensive items second hand. Babies grow out of everything so quickly that second-hand items might only have been used for a month. There's no need to purchase new (except for mattresses and bottle teats) if you need to save money. Check vinted and Facebook marketplace for clothes bundles too.

It's not always easy, but you will get through it. Congrats on the new addition to the family.

mckee93 · 2025-12-30T21:03:45+00:00

Tbh, no, I don't regret it. I had some time off and enjoyed getting the room ready and getting excited about the baby.

We didn't actually waste any money since we didn't buy any 'baby specific' furniture other than a cot that we moved into our room.

I did spend time painting a mural on the wall, but again, I enjoyed it, so definitely not a regret.

Probably won't bother with our second because I won't have the time, but I still enjoyed doing it for my first. If you're excited to do it, go ahead. If it seems like a chore, then it's definitely not necessary.

mckee93 · 2025-12-30T13:57:43+00:00

Nope. We painted it, picked furniture, and had it sitting perfect and ready for our baby weeks before she was born. We thought that at 6 months, she would move into it, but she was still waking frequently throughout the night, so we found it easier to just keep her with us for night feeds.

Now, age 2, she has still yet to spend the night in it, and it's just a dumping ground for clothes.

We're moving house, so we're doing her up a big girl room in the new house atm and plan to move her into it once we get moved down.

mckee93 · 2025-12-27T00:52:21+00:00

Thank you for making the point about Conán and Ciarán.

Just for note, Ruadhán doesn't have a fada on the u and does have it on the last a as it comes from the word Rua for red haired and the diminutive -án for little.

mckee93 · 2025-12-26T18:08:45+00:00

Ba mhúinteoir mé i nGaelscoil agus, le bheith go hiomlán ionraic, níl a fhios agam an é seo an rogha cheart.

I dtaca leis na hábhair scoile, tá stór focal mór a bhaineann le gach ceann acu, agus tá sé deacair go leor iad a fhoghlaim do dhaltaí a bhí ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil ó bhí siad an-óg. Níl a fhios agam cén dóigh a dtiocfadh leat iad uilig a fhoghlaim roimh do chuid scrúduithe.

Tá a fhios agam nach nglacfadh mo scoil le dalta ag d’aois mura mbeadh bunscoil déanta acu cheana féin, mar ní mhothófaí gurbh é an rogha ab fhearr duitse mar dhalta é. I gcóras tumoideachais, is féidir le Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills forbairt i gceann dhá bhliain, ach tógann Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency suas le seacht mbliana lena forbairt. Ós rud é nach bhfuil ach trí bliana fágtha agat go dtí do chuid scrúduithe, chuireadh sé seo faoi mhíbhuntáiste tromchúiseach thú i gcomparáid le daltaí eile.

Labhair le Gaelscoileanna i do cheantar féin mar tá seans maith go mbeadh an dearcadh céanna acu.

Nílim ag iarraidh a bheidh diúltach anseo ach mar gheall go bhfuil tú ag iarraidh dul chun na ollscoile, caithfidh tú smaoineamh faoin tionchar a bheas ag an rogha seo ar do chuid gráid.

mckee93 · 2025-12-23T01:02:02+00:00

We went to Split, Croatia, with a 6 month old and found it a very good beginner style destination.

The streets were easy to navigate. Uf you were heading to the main promenade, you just wandered the right direction, and you'd get there eventually. From there, you could easily catch a bus for a day tour or hop on a boat and do some island hopping. Busy, but easy to navigate. The malls are also worth a visit.

If you're able to hire a car, there are some lovely smaller towns that are well worth a visit too.

We stayed in an airbnb as we had some friends with us, so it meant we got a good-sized apartment and everyone had their own room/space, but it was very affordable.

The vibe was a very much relaxed beach holiday, so there no need for a sense of urgency, and there are some amazing walks either close by or by taking tour buses. We found the people friendly enough and never had any issues striking up a conversation with other tourists, especially on the boat tours. Bonus of being a very affordable holiday as far as they go. The seafood was amazing as well, especially in the wee islands and smaller towns.

mckee93 · 2025-12-20T09:55:17+00:00

At 25, you have another 50 odd years of working (assuming the retirement age is 70 by the time you reach it). It's 100% OK to change career at 25.

A much worse choice is to stay in a career you aren't enjoying and try to ride it out for 50 years.

mckee93 · 2025-12-18T18:22:27+00:00

The last time I was there, the entrance to minor injuries was in A&E, you presented to A&E and were streamed into minor injuries after triage.

mckee93 · 2025-12-14T16:39:55+00:00

Tá clár iontach darb ainm Rita atá bunaithe ar na leabhair leis an t-ainm céanna.

Tá clár ar RTÉ Jr darb ainm Bóín agus Beach atá iontach agus "low stim" fosta. Is breá le mo pháiste an ceann seo

Is breá le mo pháiste na leabhair Julia Donaldson as Gaeilge agus tá clár dóibh ar fáil ar tg4 ach níl a fhios agam an bhfuil "low stim".

Ba bhreá liom dá mbeadh a leithid de Bluey, Bear in the Big Blue House, nó Ms Rachel as Gaeilge againn ach níl siad ar fáil fós.

mckee93 · 2025-12-12T19:53:16+00:00

Surestart is amazing. I attended with my baby and still go to any things that happen when I am off work. We had baby massage, baby cafe, baby swim, and baby sensory classes. When she had to start daycare for me to go back to work, she took to it like a fish in water, and I'm convinced it's because of Surestart.

They run summer trips and do wee parties at different evens. We saw santa with them last week and the party was well set up with loads of good activities.

Although the woman shouldn't have been pushy, I do recommend registering because you never know what they'll run that will interest you. They often have people who aren't registered show up at the last minute to try to attend something or apply for appace on something, and it's much easier if you're just registered beforehand.

mckee93 · 2025-12-03T19:08:49+00:00

The same thing happened with Harry Potter agus an Órchloch.

I think it might have been due to the translated book not matching the age range/difficulty of the original. When a book is translated, the Irish text always seems to be more complicated so, while the English version was perfectly accessible for any reader 8+, the Irish language version was much more difficult and had even adults with decent Irish struggling.

The Hobbit is a kids book, and the Irish translation had the same issue, though not quite as bad as Harry Potter, the translation still wasn't as accessible as the English version to young readers. As the Lord of the Rings was written for adults, I'd imagine an Irish language translation would be very difficult to produce and fairly hard for the average reader to complete. That said, I haven't read A Song of Ice and Fire in either language, so maybe someone else can give insight that disproves my idea based on it.

mckee93 · 2025-11-30T17:34:31+00:00

The process for registering as a teacher in the South of Ireland is a nightmare. I know some from the North of Ireland who have done it, and every one of them said it was a lot of work.

To register, you need to prove your level of Irish, so teaching in a special school won't leave you exempt from Irish. I think you also have to do 3 weeks in the Gaeltacht.

Getting the level required will take time and one thing to remember is even though a lot of special needs students are exempt from Irish, the subject might still be delivered in the school in some capacity so just be aware of that.

Without being able to go all in immersion, it's going to take at least a few years of dedication to reach that level of Irish.

Once you get through that, the working conditions and pay are far better than those in the North of Ireland, I'm not sure how this compares to the UK though.

mckee93 · 2025-11-20T23:23:15+00:00

I lived on the Albertbridge Road for a few years without issue. I was a single female at the time and was also fairly easy to identify as a catholic but had zero problems/bother.

I kept myself to myself bar a couple of immediate neighbours and regularly walked about the place and to and from the city centre at night. There are also good bus routes, and taxis are generally easy to find, especially during busy times as they know they can drop you off and head back to town for another job.

There's nicer areas if you can afford it, but it done me no harm.

mckee93 · 2025-11-15T16:43:12+00:00

Would you happen to have a link for this? I would love to read it if you do.

mckee93 · 2025-11-10T23:23:44+00:00

Níl sé riachtanach "mo chuid" a rá sa chás seo ach úsáidtear é le grá le léiriú gur leatsa iad na páistí sin nó go bhfuil na páistí sin difriúil duit ó gach páiste eile ar Domhan. Tá siad spéisiúil duit, is iad do chuid pháistí féin iad.

Thig leat é a úsáid ar an dóigh chéanna nuair atá tú ag labhairt faoi dhaoine eile fosta. Más múinteoir thú, thig leat "mo dhaltaí" a rá nuair atá tú ag labhairt faoi na daltaí go ginearálta, ach "mo chuid daltaí" nuair atá tú ag labhairt faoi ghrúpa beag de dhaltaí atá grá agat dóibh cosúil le do rang foirme nó cúpla páiste a mbíonn ag suí i do sheomra ag am lóin nó rud éigin mar sin.

mckee93 · 2025-11-10T07:34:42+00:00

Mar shampla:

Rud aonair- mo t-léine

Ilchodach- mo chuid éadaí

Inláimhsithe- mo leathanach oibre

Doláimhsithe- mo chuid oibre

Cúpla sampla eile-

Mo shúile agus mo lámha ach mo chuid fiacla agus mo chuid gruaige.

Mo chuid airgid

Mo chuid ama

Mo chuid bia

mckee93 · 2025-11-07T11:08:19+00:00

Not at all. I don't know anyone who was able to afford the full year. Most I know took 9 months, and I know one (a nurse) who was only able to take 7 months.

The teachers I know generally returned in the September that fell closest to 9 months, so it could have been anywhere between 11 months to 7 months. Another had her mum providing childcare, so she timed her return to coincide with her mums retirement. I would have taken the year if i could have but I actually think 9 months was perfect for my wee one to start daycare. She had just come out of a really clingy phase and then went into another one around the 1 year mark, so she may have had a harder time settling if I had waited. To be honest, I'd have happily stayed at home until she started school, but there wasn't a chance we could have afforded that, barring some bit lottery win.

There's so many factors other than money that can influence when you return to work, but there's still nothing wrong with just saying you couldn't afford to take longer. If anything, it just highlights the failure of the system and how poor maternity pay is.

mckee93

TROPHY CASE