Is It Just Us?

In this episode we reflect on a recent Irish Independent article Hayley contributed to about babysitting. We chat about our own experiences with baby sitting as teens, how it feels as parents now and what has changed. We also explore today's teens and what stepping into that role today might look and feel like for them. We hope this gives you some helpful insights into this topic! Send your though...

This week's episode is such a treat! We had an amazing conversation with mum of 4, Caitlin Kirrane https://www.instagram.com/mrscaitlinkirrane/ . Caitlin shares her life living in a mobile home with 4 children whilst building their dream home. She is open and honest about her pregnancies, living in the mobile, her PMDD and more recently, her quest to help herself through peri menopause. This conve...

This is a really nostalgic and fun chat about our own teenage jobs, earning money as a teen, and the lessons that came with it. We also reflect on how different things feel for teens growing up today and what that might mean for their independence, confidence and relationship with money. We hope this gives you a laugh and some helpful insights too. Send your thoughts and comments to us at isitjust...

Parents, get ready for an episode that is going to blow you away, open your eyes wide to the world of teenagers and also give you a sense of hope for the future too. We are absolutely delighted to be joined by 17 year old Shonagh O' Sullivan from Tralee this week. Shonagh did a TED Talk entitled "Behind The Selfie" which was inspired by her experience of Snapchat and Coco's Law. In this conversati...

In this week's episode we are so excited to welcome Ciara and James Carty who tell us all about their wonderful little girl, Iris. Ciara and James tell the story of how Iris came in to the world, the challenges they all faced and how their lives changed, for the better in so many ways. This conversation is a tale of true inspiration and strength and a lesson in how children are incredible beings w...

Did you watch it yet? In this episode, we unpack Louis Theroux's recent documentary which aired on Netflix and is all about the "Manosphere". It was not for the faint of heart and we found it a hard watch. Today we talk about how boys are being influenced online, and share practical advice on how to protect connection, build awareness, and support your child’s safety in the digital world. We hope...

We are delighted to have been joined for the first time by a dad and who better to represent than Stephen "Cowboy" Kelly. A father of 5, you may recognise Stephen from his role as "Cowboy Lavin" on the hit TV show "The Hardy Bucks" from social media or from the many sketches and comedy shows he performs in- but it's unlikely that you've heard him speak about parenting! Beyond the personality and p...

In this episode we are taking a big topic- parental separation. We unpack the common issues we see in our work and really focus on how parents can support themselves and their children through this difficult time. We hope you find it helpful. Check out some resources in the show notes below. https://rainbowsireland.ie/parents-guardians/parental-separation-divorce-relationship-breakdown https://kno...

This is a truly inspiring and uplifting conversation with Charlene Flanagan, CEO, co-founder and skin expert. One half of the global skin care brand we all love, Ella & Jo, Charlene opens up about motherhood, work and life. We went away with so many nuggets of wisdom and Debbie even had a few tears. We hope you love this conversation as much as we did! Check out Ella & Jo here Send us an e...

We are back with another topic that comes up so frequently in our work! Being the "default" parent. In this episode we unpack what it means to us and we look at the ways it can impact us too. We share our own experiences and insights on this and of course, we offer some help. We hope you enjoy! Send us an email at isitjustuspod@gmail.com and let us know your default parenting thoughts! We are abso...

It is eating disorders awareness week and we are so grateful for this conversation with Aoife O' Brien from AOB Coaching. Aoife talked us through some amazing insights on the topic of eating distress, eating disorders and all that comes with it. Debbie shares some of her experiences with this topic too. A truly honest and important conversation. We hope you enjoy. You can find more about Aoife her...

Bedtime! It can't be just us? 😅 It's chaos, it's triggering, we are wrecked, some nights it ends in tears (everyones) ... This week we dive in to this topic and share our honest experiences. We have a laugh and give some tips too! We hope it helps x Send your thoughts and comments in to isitjustuspod@gmail.com! We love hearing from you! We are so grateful to be sponsored by the incredible Br...

Our 40th episode in a row! We are so grateful to you guys and have had a blast making these episodes! We never want a break, the weekly chats are everything! In this episode we use answers from Debbie's Instagram question box to have some fun and talk through the things that make life hard as parents! This convo is funny and very REAL! We hope you love it. Send your thoughts and comments in to isi...

Following on from last week (we got carried away talking about how we became therapists 😅), this week we are chatting about the absolute wonder and amazingness of play therapy, how it works and the cases that stood out to us over the years! We hope this helps you to understand how incredible play is and how deeply wise children are. Send your thoughts and comments in to isitjustuspod@gmail.com! W...

One of our most asked questions is around how we made the leap from teaching to therapy! In this episode, we talk about how we both went on journeys we never expected and where it has led us today! We hope you enjoy and that it might help or inspire if you are considering a career change too! Send your thoughts and comments in to isitjustuspod@gmail.com! We love hearing from you! We are so gratefu...

Mattel has released its first ever autistic Barbie, complete with headphones, fidgets and a communication device. In this episode of  Is It Just Us…?  we chat all about why this matters and how representation in toys can shape attitudes. From a therapist’s lens, we explore play, identity, inclusion and why this Barbie is so much more than a doll. We hope you enjoy and send your thoughts...

Grok - the AI image editing app that has exploded on to the scene recently with it's nudifying abilities. In this episode we try to unpack its impact while also providing you with as much helpful info as possible. It's a scary time in the online world, so we hope this episode brings you some clarity and reassurance. https://hotline.ie/ https://smartphonefree.ie/ https://www.cybersafekids.ie/ https...

Happy New Year!! Is it just us… or does the New Year call for a reset more than a resolution? In this episode, we talk about letting go of pressure, calming your nervous system, and gently finding your feet again after a full-on season. We speak about the ways we personally reset as well as about resetting things like boundaries and routines. Enjoy! Send your QUESTIONS and pod suggestions to us is...

Is it just us or does Christmas now require a recovery period?! This week, we’re debriefing the festive season in real time..from the chaos and sickness to feelings of grief and thoughts on the new year, we’re chatting about how Christmas actually felt this year, what surprised us, what drained us and why even the good stuff can be… a lot! No festive perfection, no toxic positivity... just a very...

It's Christmas Eve! In this episode we are chatting all about our F.I.R.M. Parenting approach, what it actually stands for and how it came to be! We share behind the scenes insights into how we work and what is to come too! As a special Christmas gift to you here is a link to our 7 day FREE trial so you can check out our hub yourself! We hope you enjoy! We would like to wish all of our listeners a...

After the incredible response to last week's podcast with Jack O' Dea on ADHD, we wanted to unpack this topic a little more. In this episode, we open up an honest, judgment-free conversation about ADHD, questions parents are asking, the worries they’re holding, and the confusion that can come with trying to make sense of it all. We hope you enjoy! Send your feedback and future topic ideas to isitj...

This week's podcast truly is a very special one. We had the privilege of speaking with Jack O' Dea, our first ever guest! Jack is a 22 year old Masters student from Galway who was diagnosed with ADHD at 5 years old. He talks us through what life was like growing up, how he navigated school, friendships and the sometimes negative feedback he faced. We talk about advocacy, parenting, giving children...

In this week’s episode of  Is It Just Us? , we dive into one of the most loaded parenting topics right now… smartphones for children and teens. With Christmas just around the corner, you may be feeling the pressure! We talk honestly about the pros and cons of smartphones, the emotional, social, and behavioural impacts we’re seeing and how to make choices that are alig...

Ok, so much has been going on, it is high time we filled you guys in! From home new to work news, we hope you enjoy this chatty life update episode! Send us your emails at isitjustuspod@gmail.com and tell us your thoughts and what you would like to hear from us! Thank you to our incredible podcast sponsor https://mimitoys.ie/ for sponsoring this podcast. We adore Mimi's developmental and super uni...

In this episode we talk about the recently launched TODDLER skin care range! We chat through the message it sends to our young children but also how playing with the theme of "home spa" can be great! We touch on the skincare trend for tweens too and have loads to say about this topic both as parents and professionals! Also, can you guess the old staple that Hayley is now using on her face at night...