Freelance Writing

Freelance Writer Andrea Mara

As a freelance writer, I’ve written for a variety of magazines, newspapers and websites, including HerFamily.ie, Irish Examiner, the Independent , Image Magazine, Magpie MagazineWoman’s Way, Maternity and Infant, Mums and Tots, Pregnancy and Parenting, The Journal.ie, Health and Living (with the Independent), eumom, and US site Scary Mommy.

To see me do a TV interview in my kitchen, have a look here! Andrea Mara blogging interview with Amanda Brunker – RTE Today Show 

Published writing:

Image Magazine

Image magazine - Andrea Mara - Office Mum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ve got a business idea – where to now?  (+ page 2) Image magazine, July 2015

The Independent 

Baby-led Weaning – why do it and how do you go about it?

Making work work – self-employment balanced with parenting

Are smart phones destroying a generation?

Irish parents who are choosing to homeschool their children

Think outside the lunchbox

Big school - Independent - Mothers and Babies - Andrea Mara

Word up: You can never start too young when it comes to reading

Naughty, naughty: The discipline methods that work and those that don’t

Balancing act: How to give your toddler attention when a new baby arrives

Gentle Parenting: The mindfulness alternative to time out

How to cope with life after maternity leave

Telltale signs: Why parents should allow the tale to be told

The Wheel Deal: Everything you need to know about buying a first family car

Baby’s First Christmas

Sweet Dreams: top tips for achieving better sleep as a new mum

7 ways to keep your baby healthy through the harsh Irish winter

The childcare question: picking the one that best suits your needs

Hold me close: The whats, whys and hows of babywearing 

Pink V Blue: Does it matter what colour you dress your child in?

Taking the stress out of big school

Always read the back

Going potty: top tips to successfully potty train your toddler

Protein Power – how much protein should kids be getting?

Going Potty - Andrea Mara - Mothers and Babies magazineDoing it all – could doing too many after-school activities be a bad idea?

Home Truths – What do do in the early days of maternity leave

Enough is Enough – The clear your plate mentality

Fun and Games – Feeling guilty for not playing with kidsAndrea Mara Mothers and Babies Fun and Games

The Reality of new Motherhood

Get With The Program

 

The Irish Examiner

Should you curse in front of your kids?

It’s snore joke

The homework debate – why I think we should ban it

The stories behind the baby names

What happens when authors write back?

What happens when you say yes to your kids for 24 hours?

How do we steer girls into STEM?

Trades are not just jobs for the boys

Top tips for toilet training

Diversity in the workplace – interview with eBay’s Rhonda Doyle

Tongue Tie and the simple procedure to fix it

Is it easier to go to work or stay at home?

How much should we censor books for kids?

People who met online and then in real life

All the presidents’ children

Where does a healthy interest in gaming become an obsession?

Are we really smashing gender stereotypes for young girls?

Why cosmetic surgery games for kids need to be cut out

What should the age of online consent be?

With Santa on his way, we look at why gendered marketing matters

What’s the right age to give a child a mobile phone?

Interview with Simon Delaney

Team Hope Shoebox Appeal shows the real gift of giving

How much screen time is too much for small children?

Why working mums should ditch the pointless guilt

The cost of education can often catch people out

Stay at home mums are working it (or my title: I’m not a stay-at-home mum!)

Why does the perfect kiss remain at the heart of every romance?

The working parent’s guide to surviving the school holidays

Why don’t dads take parental leave?

Turn off your phone and go to sleep

Housework 101: how to keep your house clean without losing your mind 

These are the things Irish mothers wish they’d known before having children

There is very little help for breastfeeding mothers in Ireland

6 parents discuss finding the perfect work/ life balance

Giving your child a smartphone for Christmas? Here’s how to make their online experience safer

Do women need to act like men to succeed at work?

Why is Ireland on course to be the fattest nation in Europe?

Home Truths: Life as a stay-at-home mum is a tough job

Letting Kids Run Free Makes Them Better Adults

Women can do it all

When it comes to kids – three is the magic Examiner L Vanderkamnumber

Cut the working mum guilt – children aren’t suffering

Why do parents continue working, if a salary only just covers childcare?

 

The Irish Examiner – Feelgood magazine

Life Lessons – we need to talk about sex

Taking up the job title of full-time mother

Should you celebrate Valentine’s Day as a family?

Can apps be educational?

Folic acid – what does it do and why do we need it?

Ten ideas for Twixmas

Making memories at Christmas

Beyond the myths of ADHD

Three is the new two

Spare new mothers your advice

From blogging to fiction

Fruit waters have as much sugar as fizzy drinks

Karen Koster launches skin safety campaign

How to help a child who is being bullied

Why I’m embracing Mother’s Day in all its homemade glory 

First Beyoncé, then Amal – but twins are on the rise in real life too

Explaining the role of SNAs

Space Invaders: Finding the best storage solutions for your kids’ toys

Parents: Manage your own stress levels first at Christmas time

Moana and the Disney Princesses – how females are portrayed in children’s films

Snacks that aren’t as healthy as they seem

Trying to be the perfect parent will only stress you out (my favourite feature ever)

Nutritional information for wannabe and expectant parents

How to make homework more productive and enjoyable

Giving children an opportunity to explore is the first step to independence 

The role of food in chronic illnesses in children

Allergies in kids: On the increase, and the cause is not known

Baby-led weaning: tips for moving your baby to solids

Getting Crafty: why arts and crafts are good for kids

First time mothers looks to parenting forums for advice

Tips for when you bring your little girl shopping for clothes

Weight to go – post-natal exercise for mums and babies

Top ten Santa sites for kids

 

Articles written for HerFamily.ie

HerFamilyie Andrea Mara Office Mum

 

Her Family various

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women who regretted having children

Christmas Eve traditions

Am I the Christmas Grinch?

The pump and dump debate

Changing your name after marriage – yay or nay?

All mothers should work outside the home, says this author

Miscarriage: the aftermath, the taboo, the emotions

Real life birth stories

Why the sacrifices you make as a parent are totally worth it 

Why certain parents are really glad the holidays are over

Is maternity leave in Ireland too short?

Is there a lack of support for new mums in this country?

Should mental health classes be taught in our schools?

62% of readers think the state should provide parenting classes – do you?

Have parents finally lost the plot?

Why saying “good girl” is a big no no

The secret trick to surviving the workplace as a parent

Discrimination at work for being pregnant? You better believe it

Are these two words making you sound weak?

The truth about parenting books

GE16: What do parents want in terms of Reproductive Rights, EducationHealthcare, and Childcare (four articles)

Single-sex schools: Are they better or worse? 

Childcare for €2 an hour – the election promise of every parent’s dreams?

A letter to the woman who couldn’t imagine leaving her child in creche

Paternity leave is on the way!

Dads have harder jobs than mums

Have you heard of Rabenmutter?

Why do women earn 14% less than men?

Does having kids make you unhappy?

How to handle pocket money requests

Parenting is hard, but lashing out isn’t the answer

Flexible work – here’s how to get it

Do men need to worry about rising paternal age?

Irish mums among the worst off in Europe

10 steps for handling school when you’re a working mum

Gender neutral toys: why it’s important to let children choose

How much maternity leave should you take?

Will women ever support each other?

The unwritten rules of naming baby

The trouble with TV

Back to school without losing your mind

Why I bring my kids to restaurants

Are you guilty of online sharenting?

The Facebook version of my holidayFB version Her Family

Flexible working: When the 9-to-5 is wrong for your family

The need for me-time after babies

How to rebuild confidence after maternity leave

Why working from home is the business

After-school activities and summer camps – how much is too much?

The plague of homework

Why the fertility timebomb is nothing but scaremongering

The tedium that is making school lunches

Tongue Tie – what is it, and how does it affect breastfeeding?

The Transition

Marriage Referendum and small kids

 Impostor Syndrome – do you have it?

How to choose childcare

Andrea Mara HerFamilyie Office Mum Toddler Induced HangoverThe ultimate 12-step guide to being a working mum

The bedtime chore

Female CEO apologises to working mums

The life lessons I’m teaching my kids

Is paternity leave on the way?

The toddler-induced hangover 

How do you do it all?

The best part of the day (or not)

The working parent dilemma – when a child is sick

Scary Mommy

Scary Mommy bio

Scary Mommy Andrea Mara Toddler sleep

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why the things that make me happy are simpler now

The Burden of Being First Born

That Boy

How House of Cards inspires my parenting

How to get your child to sleep through the night in just 2.5 years

The Facebook Version

maternity & infant magazine (print only)

m&i toothkind3

 

 

 

 

Tongue Tie – what is it and what do you do if your baby has it

Blogging as a career – an interview with maternity and infant editor Penny Gray

Pearly Whites – what’s causing the increase in tooth decay in kids?

Virtual Friends – the internet as a resource for new mums – is there a downside?

Presenteeism – reaction from working mothers and tips from expert Sarah Courtney

Barriers to healthy eating

Mother & Baby (UK) 

mother & baby

 

 

 

 

Regain your confidence after maternity leave (PDF)

Woman’s Way

After School Overload Sept 3rd 2015 (pdf)

Should you censor your child’s reading? (print only)

Independent/ Independent.ie

Dummy Debate

9 things I’ve learnt since becoming a working mother

eumom.ie

eumom all articles andrea mara

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving: I’m thankful for the predictability of everyday life

18 places to visit Santa

Unusual Irish Babynames

I’m the Halloween Grinch

Budget 2015: what does it mean for families?

Raising Girls

The smile that saved me

Uniforms: Yay or Nay?

Reading to young children

Parenting by hypocrisy

Two little school-girls

Breastfeeding in public

The Terrible Twos

10 things I’ve learnt about parenting

When the age-gap is small…

Top 10 family friendly hotels

A messy house & happy kids

The dinner-time wars

The loneliness of first-time motherhood

Third child

How did I get here?

The magic & mystery of a sleeping toddler

Why do working mothers keep saying yes?

Know your maternity-leave rights

Glitter, glue and a homemade Mother’s Day

Andrea Mara Eumom Third Child Syndrome

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Journal:

The Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas expectations V reality

8 things I’ve learnt about Christmas

The unwritten rule that helps stressed parents through the tough days

Why are employers rewarding long hours in the office above all else?

Five things I swore I’d never do if I had kids

Yes I leave work on time – but it doesn’t mean I won’t work hard

Impostor Syndrome

Playground etiquette and other mysteries

The mammy-wars and other myths

Is there a glass ceiling for women in the workplace?

Women CEOs are more likely to be fired  Office Mum : The Journal

Prime Time Childcare exposé – one year on

The internet and creativity

Why do people continue to do the hardest job in the world? 

Why do more women stay at home?

5 things I got wrong about starting school

What should we teach our kids about competitiveness?

 

Independent Health and Living Magazine

Tongue Tie Fail

Netmums Blog of the Week/ blog post of the day

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First Child

Third Man

Emotions you can’t explain

11 classes I need for my kids

Life shifter

6 great reasons to work from home

Imagine a world where we can define how we work?

Presenteeism

Working Mother Guilt – Does it Ever Ease?

Having It All? Mothers Should be Able to Choose

Flexible Working in the Corporate World: Does it Exist?

 

Pregnancy & Parenting magazineoffice mum in pregnancy & parenting magazinge

Sleep is for the wise (original version published on Office Mum)

Feel the fear (original version published on Office Mum)

 

Mums & Tots MagazineMums and Tots Office Mum

Middle Child Syndrome

5 Tips for Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave 

 

The Huffington Post (UK Lifestyle):

Click image for all Huff Post articles:

HuffPostUK

TheWorkingMother.ie

7 Good Reasons to Work From Home

TV – a tiny category 

RTÉJr with Tara Loughey Grant and Orla Walsh talking about Life After Birth

Today show on RTÉ1 being interviewed by Amanda Brunker about blogging 28 January 2016: Today

Prime Time report on squeezed middle 13 November 2014: Prime Time (from 1 minute 24)

Prime Time audience on childcare costs 30 September 2014: Prime Time (at 17 minutes 10)

Today Show RTE Andrea Mara

 

Podcasts:

On The Last Word on Today FM talking about women working and staying in touch with work during maternity leave (April 27th 2017)

Cosmetic Surgery Games – speaking to Jonathan Healy on Newstalk on Monday February 20th 2017

Spin Talk about Impostor Syndrome Tuesday March 3rd 2015 and various parenting topics over summer 2015 and 2016

Interview guest on Late Lunch Live on LMFM Radio July 30th 2014

Interview guest on The Hen House with Barbara Scully on Dublin South FM August 6th 2014

Phone guest on Late Lunch Live on LMFM Radio February 11th 2014 talking about working mothers

Phone guest on WLRfm on August 11th 2014 talking about older children in buggies and on February 5th about working mohters (podcast no longer available for latter)

RTE Radio 1 Mooney Show Tuesday October 7th 2014, chatting to Brenda Donohue about why I don’t love the playground.

Interview with George Hook on The Right Hook on Newstalk Tuesday December 2nd 2014, talking about paternity leave and why it’s good for dads (except we don’t have it at all in Ireland)

Guest on The Last Word on Today FM talking about the cost of childcare December 2013

On my favourite podcast, the CreepDive in 2020 talking about, well, creepy things.

Awards!

Winner “Best Lifestyle Blog” at Blog Awards Ireland 2018

Winner “Best Commercial Lifestyle Blog” at Blog Awards Ireland 2017

Winner of “Best Parenting Blog” at Blog Awards Ireland 2015

Office Mum Blog Award Winner

Presentation

Winner of “Best Overall Parenting Blog” at the Glenisk Irish Parenting Blog Awards 2015

IPBA_winner_2015

Where Wishes Come From and Office Mum

Winner of “Best Parenting Blog”  at the Image Blog Awards 2014

 

Bronze in Best Parenting Blog – maternity & infant awards 2015

M&I Award_15 parenting blog activity Bronze

Finalist in Best Writer, Best Personal Blog, Best Parenting Blog and Best Blog Post in the Irish Parenting Blog Awards 2015

Irish Parenting Blog Awards Finalist - Office Mum

Finalist in Best Personal Blog, at the Irish Blog Awards 2013

blog_awards_2013_badge_finalist-245x300

Shortlisted in Best Parenting Blog, at the Irish Blog Awards 2014

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Featured in other newspaper & magazine articles:

Fraud Squad: Imposter Syndrome

Age of Anxiety

Sophie’s Choice

Stellar.ie: 5 bloggers who write about more than fashion and beauty

Creche kids: A ticking timebomb?

The modern mum’s guide to worrying

Irish Examiner: Why does the glass ceiling still exist for women?

FEA_2014-06-10_LIF_032_31943307_I2
Photo: Ronan Lang (Independent.ie)

Yvonne Hogan’s Diary of a Working Mum – feature on Irish bloggers

It’s time to end the mammy wars

Are working mothers under attack? – Budget 2014

 

Mother’s Day feature in Independent

 

Why an apple a day will keep teacher happy – Present buying for teachers

 

Sharenting 

Budget+Andrea+Mara

 

10 unusual ways to beat work stress

 

Image Blog Awards!

 

Budget 2014 “I would love if there was something for working parents”

 

Budget 2015: ReactionAndrea Mara Switching Saturday Independent.ie

 

Water charges: Reaction

 

Why I switched – Switching Saturday

 

Irish Country Magazine Andrea Mara

Bye, bye Barbie

 

Irish Country Magazine

 

 

Featured in Glenisk Blogalicious after winning the Best Overall Parenting Blog at the Glenisk Irish Parenting Blog Awards

 

And where else would you put your cardboard box tweet but here:

And this, again on the cardboard box: Irish Woman Blows Internet Away no less

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