My First Five Years

“We’re all pretty good at adding additional jobs to our jobs list at Christmas and we really don’t need to.” Discover top tips to help you through the festive season with your under-five and find out how to uncover the true magic of Christmas (spoiler alert, it doesn’t include a trip to Santa’s grotto). Hosted by early childhood experts Jennie Johnson MBE and Alistair Bryce-Clegg, you’ll hear how...

“There’s a saying that it takes a village to bring a baby up, and it actually does.” England Lioness and Everton footballer Toni Duggan joins My First Five Years co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson to talk about breaking boundaries for maternity leave in women’s football, morning sickness at work, the importance of having a support network, and the benefits of the women’s game that...

“We've found through our own experience of six children between us that once you understand some of the science and research behind how children develop in the early years, it can really help you to relax and put some of the joy back into parenting.” Join My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg as they look back on what they’ve learned from the past six months on th...

“80% of people consuming parenting knowledge, trying to learn how to handle feelings, and learning about milestones, are mothers. And that takes an awful lot of time, energy and effort… It’s a really important part of the mental load that mothers are picking up.” My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are joined by Zoe Blaskey, transformational coach and founder of...

“Resilience and creativity will be the most important things that will be required for the future.” My First Five Years co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson are joined by Jimmy McLoughlin OBE of Jobs of the Future to discuss the skills that will support your child in the fast-changing world of work. You’ll hear how allowing your child to fail holds the key to success, which areas mi...

“Leading by example is so massively important and I think that’s one of the biggest inspirations for children.”  This Zero Waste week, My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are joined by Charlotte Howell-Jones from Parents for Future. You’ll hear how to inspire your child to enjoy nature and look after the planet in an age-appropriate way, easy, practical act...

“Don’t assume that your parents (because they’re your parents and you love them) are on the same wavelength that you are.”  Join My First Five Years app co-founder Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson to hear why grandparents are important in children’s development, how to have realistic expectations of your parents as grandparents, and what to do when you have a difference of opinion in c...

“It’s about recognising this is a transition for parents as well as children, so give as much thought to your strategies as your child’s.”   Join My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg to hear how to approach your baby or child starting childcare, whether that’s with a childminder or at nursery. You’ll hear advice on how to choose a setting for your child...

"You don't have to pay loads of money and go on massive trips to make memories this summer." With baby and toddler classes out for the summer, My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg talk about the pressures summer can bring (18 summers, anyone?), why you don’t need to go on big days out (but how to manage everyone’s expectations if you do!), the importance of bored...

“Becoming a parent provides us with this unique opportunity to really get to know ourselves.” My First Five Years app co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson are joined by Dr Emma Svanberg (the Mumologist), clinical psychologist and author of Parenting for Humans , to find out how to parent the child you have as the person you are. In this fascinating discussion, you’ll hear why parent...

“Often walking doesn’t have anything to do with legs and feet, walking really starts with their brain and their core.”  Join My First Five Years app co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson MBE to hear why no two children share the same journey to walking, where crawling fits in, whether it’s possible to walk too soon and which are the best type o...

“We know that babies can attach to more than one parent equally, and also that the attachment that fathers have with their children not only is good for the children, but also is good for the dads. It actually physically changes the makeup of your brain.”   In this Father’s Day special, My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are joined...

“Sometimes just saying no... becomes like a habit, and actually what we're going to talk about is if you just think slightly differently, everybody might benefit.”   You’ll hear how pausing for thought before saying “no” can make everyone happier, and how it could even lead to your child landing their dream job! My First Five Years co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson cove...

“Holidays are a mixed blessing. They’re lots of prep, and they can be a little bit stressful, but I know I look back on many of them with really fond memories. It's worth the drama!”   Find out how to prepare your child for a holiday to take the stress out of it for them, as well as for you. You’ll hear tips on how to avoid a holiday horror show with My First Five Years app founders Jenn...

“Number one - don’t say don’t! Try and find other ways or other words to use instead of don’t, because you’re starting with a negative.” “Right, so you’re just making it easy for a child to be defiant, because you’ve immediately given them something that they now want to do?!” It’s six months since hosts Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg launched the My First Five Years podcast. To celebrate...

“Newborn babies are very aware of their body... What happens with disposable nappies is that brain-body connection is eroded, and so then we have the very difficult problem that parents want to use a potty and the child has a very steep learning curve to assimilate all the skills that they'll need to be able to do that effectively.”   In this potty training special, you’ll hear the lates...

“One key message that I want to get across from all of my experience working in Early Years over the past 30 years, is that by trying to push children ahead, you often set them way further back. And actually, when you hold your nerve and follow your child's lead, when they get it, they will fly with it.”   You’ll hear why writing is so much more than just putting pen to paper and how it...

This Bonus Episode is from our episode with sleep expert Lauren Peacock, it's all about how to make the most out of nap time for your under 5. For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364 Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award win...

“The term ‘sleeping through’ has so much to answer for because it suggests that some children go to bed and sleep until they wake up in the morning, and no human being sleeps like that.”   Did you know we all wake in the night multiple times, and that the so-called four-month sleep regression is actually a sleep progression? In this sleep special, you’ll hear the lowdown on children’s sl...

“What’s wrong with the idea of giving girls dolls and boys trucks is the idea that we are separating girls and boys. We can give children dolls and also give children trucks. It’s not the object, it’s the societal expectation that comes with the object... We are all conditioning our children constantly.”  Find out how the toys you give your children to play with can impact them in the long te...

“Being creative isn’t a personality type. All children and adults can be creative if they’re given the right opportunity.”  You’ll hear about the three main elements to creativity, why parent-led activities don’t support your child’s development in the same way as child-led ones, and ways to encourage your child’s creativity, with creators of the My First Five Years app Jennie Johnson and Ali...

“Maths is more than numbers. It’s your experience of the world around you in terms of shape, pattern, measure and number. Maths feeds into everything we do, all the time.”  You’ll hear how maths is so much more than numbers, counting, addition and subtraction. From filling your bowl with the right amount of cereal to baking together and the language you use, early years experts Jennie Johnson...

“Sometimes it can feel like you’re in a race to get to the big milestones of walking, potty-training, weaning, reading and writing.”  You’ll hear how to focus on the uniqueness of your child’s development and on the often unnoticed but crucially important little steps on your child’s journey. Learn how to trust your child’s processes and learning with early childhood experts Jennie Johnson an...

“It’s not a picture of doom and gloom, but it is a picture of maybe having to change our expectations as parents so that children have the opportunities that they missed, so they can build the skills they need.”  You’ll hear about the impacts of lockdown on babies and young children, and discover Alistair and Jennie’s top tips to help. Find out why children who were very young during lockdown...

A bonus episode from Jenny and Alistair's conversation with food and nutrition expert Lucy Upton about avoiding choking hazards with your under 5. For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364 Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award...