How Not to Screw Up Your Kids

Has homework become a battle? Has your child stopped trying or caring? In this episode, I’m talking directly to the parents who feel like their child’s motivation has quietly slipped away, because I want to help you understand what’s really going on underneath that perceived lack of effort. Spoiler alert: it’s almost never laziness. I’m going to walk you through why pushing harder doesn’t work, wh...

Is your teenager ghosting you? Do they feel more distant and shut off? Are you scared that your relationship with them is fading away? Spoiler alert: we’ve all been there, and I promise you it’s nothing to panic about. When your teenager stops talking to you, it can feel like you’ve lost the child you once knew. The little person who used to climb into your bed and tell you everything is now quiet...

When a family separates, everything shifts. As parents we want to protect our children, but it can feel overwhelming when we don’t always have the answers. In this episode, I walk you through what the facts tells about children and parental separation, and why long‑term wellbeing is about how we manage conflict, how we communicate, and how we support our children emotionally as they adjust. In tod...

In this episode, I’m talking honestly about something so many parents worry about - a child who “won’t read”, says reading is boring, or hasn’t picked up a book in years. I explain why this isn’t a motivation problem at all, but a skills gap in reading identity, attention, language, and confidence. And once you understand what’s really going on underneath the surface, helping your child become a r...

A child melts down at the door, stomach pain, tears, refusal, and you’re standing there with a 9am meeting to get to, unsure whether to push harder or give in. Your child is at a developmental crossroads, but when should does normal age-appropriate behaviour become emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)? And more importantly, what can you do about it? Not every worry is an anxiety disorder, and...

Is bedtime a battle? Does your child wake through the night? Or are you simply unsure whether your child is getting enough sleep? Most parents think of sleep as “rest”, but once you understand what sleep is actually doing inside your child’s developing brain, everything changes. In today’s episode, I break down the science behind sleep - what it really says about memory consolidation, emotional re...

Today, I’m diving deep into one of the most emotionally charged parts of parenting: your child’s friendships . I’ll show you how to read what their social world is really telling you, how to recognise what’s developmentally normal, and how to support them without stepping in too fast or taking over. I will explain the difference between friendship friction and genuine red flags, how to coach your...

Spoiler alert: a tantrum isn’t bad behaviour. It’s a developmental event that happens when your kid’s nervous system is really overwhelmed. When your children have tantrums, it is never a reflection of you or your parenting. It’s a completely normal and age appropriate thing. So in this episode, I’m diving into the world of toddler tantrums - what causes them, what happens in your child’s brain at...

How do you know if your child is confident, or just masking? In today’s episode, I explain the two core skills that create genuine, lifelong confidence, and once you understand these foundations, helping your child become braver, more resilient, and more willing to try new things becomes so much easier. I walk you through the wide‑lens approach I use with families, showing you how confidence grows...

If you’ve ever asked your children “How was school?” and received “Fine” , “I don’t know” , or total silence, you’re not alone. Our children walk through the door with a full emotional bucket, tired from holding themselves together all day, so the usual questions just don’t work. In today’s bucket emptying episode, I give you five simple questions you can start using today that help your kids open...

What’s the real key to raising a child who genuinely loves learning - not because of school pressure, grades, or how much homework they do, but because curiosity and resilience have been built from the inside out? As a psychologist and parent, I’ve seen again and again that children do the best academically and emotionally when we stop focusing on homework battles, reading resistance, or low motiv...

The first day at a new school can be a scary experience for many children, as well as us parents! But what do you do if your kid is super nervous? We often feel like the bad guy making them go in when they clearly don’t want to, even when we know it’s the best thing for them, so in this week’s bucket emptying episode, I give you my ten top tips for managing those first day jitters. So pour yoursel...

Whether your child is starting reception, moving into secondary school, returning to a familiar classroom, or stepping into a brand‑new environment like college or university, there is one important conversation you should be having, but most parents miss it. In today’s episode, I walk you through exactly how I approach this conversation in my own family and with the families I support: how to cho...

Results week doesn’t end on results day - in fact, the days and weeks following results day is where the real emotional work happens. In today’s bucket emptying episode, I give you three precise, ready‑to‑use conversation starters that help your child feel seen, steady and supported, regardless of whether they’re celebrating, disappointed, confused or quietly struggling. As a parent, your words sh...

GCSE results day isn’t really about grades - it’s about emotions. Everyone is feeling a lot of things, from the moment you wake up, to opening that envelope, and then processing whatever is inside. In this episode, I explain why teens react so differently to results, and how your own exam memories resurface to influence your parenting. Remember: this day belongs to our children. Let them lead and...

If your teenager’s exam results were not what you expected, your plans might be making some sudden changes. That’s ok, and this episode is for you. Whether your child didn’t get the grades they hoped for, is suddenly unsure about university, or is facing a future that looks different from what they imagined, I will walk you through the five things I want you to do this week to help them move forwa...

Results Day is one of the most emotionally-charged moments in your teenager’s life, and what you say in the first hours after they open that envelope can shape their confidence, their resilience, and their future selves. No pressure 😂 Today I am going to give you the exact sentences to use on A‑level Results Day, GCSE Results Day, or any high‑stakes academic moment. No clichés, no “at least” stat...

A must‑listen for every parent navigating the screen‑time battle this summer! Today, I cut through the overwhelm with one simple, highly effective rule that stops arguments, protects your child’s sleep, stabilises their mood, and restores calm at home. If you’re seeing bedtime resistance, evening meltdowns, wired behaviour at night, or grumpy mornings, this episode explains why screens are disrupt...

Screens aren’t just distracting your child - they’re quietly disrupting the one thing their brain and body cannot function without: sleep. And when sleep quality drops, everything else follows: mood, behaviour, emotional regulation, impulse control, learning, resilience and family harmony. In today’s episode, I explain the real screen‑time problem most parents miss, how it impacts your child’s sle...

Fear of failure is one of the most misunderstood challenges parents face, especially when you’re raising a bright, capable child who refuses to try anything unless success is guaranteed. Today, I break down exactly why children avoid new experiences, quit the moment things get hard, melt down over mistakes, or insist “I can’t do it” before they’ve even begun. I am going to give you 5 practical str...

If you’re watching your bright, capable child refuse to try anything unless success is guaranteed, this episode is going to feel like oxygen. I’m breaking down exactly what’s really driving fear of failure in children - the avoidance, the perfectionism, the “I’m not doing it if I’m going to be bad at it” - and I’m giving you five practical things you can do right now to close the resilience gap. Y...

In this episode, I’m tackling one of the most confusing challenges parents face: how to support a highly sensitive child without wrapping them in cotton wool or pushing them too hard . If your child feels everything deeply - the party overwhelm, the criticism that undoes them, the emotional intensity that seems bigger than everyone else’s - then you need this episode. I explain what high sensitivi...

In this episode, I’m diving into one of the most misunderstood traits I see in children every single week: high sensitivity . If your child feels everything deeply - the loud places, the scratchy clothes, the emotional intensity of a birthday party they actually enjoyed - you may have wondered whether it’s anxiety , ADHD , autism , or something you’ve somehow caused. So let’s clear it up. I explai...

In this episode, I will walk you through the real first week of the school holidays - the meltdowns, the boredom, the clinginess, the explosions over nothing - and why this week is always the hardest for anxious children. I explain exactly what’s happening in your child’s nervous system when the school‑day scaffolding disappears, why their bucket fills before lunchtime, and the three practical too...

Summer holidays are tough for parents, but it can be a hidden superpower! In this episode, I explain exactly why anxious children struggle the moment school ends, why the holidays bring out their anxiety, and the five practical tools that genuinely help. I walk you through the real reason behind the meltdowns, the boredom‑to‑explosion cycle, the clinginess, and the screen‑time battles. You’ll lear...