Parental Control

Who were you before you became a mother? And how much of that person do you recognise now? Motherhood changes us in ways we can never fully anticipate. But what happens when the identity you've spent years building suddenly feels completely at odds with the life you're living? In this episode of Parental Control , Ellie Thompson joins entrepreneur and RESTOREHer founder Lina Perez for an honest co...

Are we making parenting harder than it needs to be? With endless advice, conflicting opinions, parenting experts and products promising to make family life easier, it can sometimes feel as though raising children has become more complicated than ever. In this episode of Parental Control, My Baba's Ellie Thompson is joined by TV presenter, dad and founder of Dadvengers Nigel Clarke, alongside educa...

What happens when we die? It's a question most of us will ask at some point, but for Parental Control host Ellie Thompson, it became impossible to stop asking after losing her little boy, Billy. In this deeply personal episode, Ellie is joined by Dr Eben Alexander, neurosurgeon and bestselling author of Proof of Heaven. For much of his medical career, Eben believed that consciousness was dependent...

Swimming on Monday. Football on Tuesday. Music on Wednesday. Gymnastics at the weekend. Sound familiar? For many families, extracurricular activities have become an almost automatic part of childhood. We want our children to try new things, build confidence, make friends and discover what they love. But somewhere along the way, have we started to believe that every empty space in their diary needs...

What if the secret to better skin isn't doing more, but doing less? In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with multi-award-winning aesthetician and celebrity facialist William Foley , founder of William Foley Skin and creator of The BioSync Method™, to challenge some of the biggest messages we're being sold about skincare today. With 17 years of hands-on experience working...

Why do people have affairs, and is infidelity ever as simple as one person being in the wrong? In this episode of My Baba's Parental Control podcast, Ellie Thompson sits down with presenter, relationship expert and counsellor Anna Williamson, host of the hit podcast The Affair. Now in its sixth season, the series explores real-life stories of infidelity from every perspective, uncovering the emoti...

Would banning social media for under-16s protect our children, or simply drive their online lives further underground? As debate around children's access to social media continues, Ellie Thompson welcomes Child and Educational Psychologist Dr Emily Crosby to the Parental Control podcast to look beyond the headlines and explore what social media is really doing to young minds. With more than 13 yea...

Fear is a normal part of childhood. From monsters under the bed to spiders, needles and the dark, most children will experience fears as they grow. But when does a fear become a phobia? And what can parents do to help? In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by leading Harley Street phobia expert and Face Your Fears author Christopher Paul Jones . Having overcome his own debi...

Every year in England, thousands of bright, capable kids sit down to take their GCSE English and maths exams — and fail. Not because they don't know the material. Not because they haven't worked hard. But because the exam itself only tests one narrow way of showing what you know. My guest today has lived this. She watched her own dyslexic son work harder than anyone, understand the material, and s...

Why do so many women reach their 30s and 40s feeling more critical of their bodies than ever before? In this honest and thought-provoking episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with eating disorder specialist and author Elle Mace to explore the complex relationship women have with food, body image and self-worth. From the pressures of social media and the rise of weight-loss injecti...

What is it like to dedicate your career to finding a cure for one of the deadliest childhood cancers? In this deeply personal episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with Dr Ashley Vardon , an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, whose pioneering research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is being part-funded by Billy's Battalion. Together, they...

If you've ever found yourself shouting over something small, only to be overwhelmed with guilt moments later, you're far from alone. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by award-winning journalist and author Lauren Novak to explore one of motherhood's least talked about realities: mum rage. Lauren has spent more than two decades reporting on family life, child safety and...

Becoming parents changes everything, including your relationship. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by relationship and sex therapist Georgina Vass to discuss what really happens to intimacy, communication and connection after children. Why do so many couples end up feeling more like colleagues than lovers? Is it normal for sex to disappear after kids? How much conflict...

Body image worries are starting younger. Diet culture may have changed its clothes, but it certainly hasn't gone away — it's simply rebranded as wellness, self-improvement and "health optimisation," all while our children scroll through TikTok, influencers and impossible appearance standards in real time. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by Elle Mace , eating disorder...

Starting secondary school is one of the biggest milestones in childhood, and, if we're honest, often one of the most emotionally charged for parents, too. From agonising over school choices and friendship groups to worrying about long commutes, organisation, bullying, overwhelm and whether your child is actually ready for such a huge leap, the move to Year 7 can feel daunting for the whole family....

Exam season can bring stress to the entire household. From slammed bedroom doors and sleepless nights to younger children already feeling the pressure of assessment before secondary school is even on the horizon. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by education expert Katharine Radice , author of The Parent's Guide to Exam Stress , to unpack what exam pressure is really d...

Andy Day is one of the UK's most recognisable faces in children's television, best known for sparking curiosity through his hugely popular Andy's Adventures series. But beyond the dinosaurs, safari trips and underwater explorations, Andy is also a musician, author, performer and all-round creative force. On this episode of the My Baba Podcast, Ellie chats to Andy about life beyond the screen — fro...

From homework meltdowns and bedtime battles to the growing conversation around medication, parenting a child with ADHD can feel overwhelming, confusing, and often isolating. And for many families—especially those with girls—getting a diagnosis (and the right support) can take years. In this episode of Parental Control, we sit down with Dr Olivia Kessel, medical doctor, neurodiversity advocate, and...

Today we're joined by Katie Harrison from Picture News , an organisation that's been working closely with schools for years to help children engage with the world around them in a thoughtful, age-appropriate way. In this episode, we're diving into something so many parents are thinking about right now — children's mental health, and the role movement can play in supporting it. We'll be talking abo...

Travelling with children can feel overwhelming. From packing and planning to keeping little ones entertained on long journeys. But according to family travel expert Jen Carr, it doesn't have to be stressful or expensive. Jen is the founder of The Travel Mum, a hugely popular online platform where she shares some of the best affordable holiday deals for families throughout the week, alongside pract...

There's no shortage of advice telling women how they should look, eat or exercise — and it's no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed, confused or stuck when it comes to our bodies. In this episode, we're joined by Emma Simarro, Women's Health Coach and founder of Building Body Confidence , to cut through the noise and talk about what actually helps women feel strong, confident and well, especiall...

Relationships don't usually fall apart overnight. More often, they unravel slowly through miscommunication, unmet needs and emotional distance. When connection feels lost, many couples are left wondering whether their relationship can be repaired — or whether it's already too late. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by Sophie Orozco , a relationship coach whose work is r...

Heavy periods affect millions of women, yet for many, they remain something to quietly endure rather than openly discuss. In this episode, Parental Control explores the real impact of heavy and painful periods on women's physical health, emotional wellbeing, work and relationships — and asks why period-related disruption is still so often dismissed or minimised. Ellie Thompson is joined by Dr Nisa...

In this episode, Parental Control takes listeners inside the IVF lab to understand how embryos are assessed and selected during fertility treatment, including PGT-A and time-lapse IVF. Ellie Thompson is joined by embryologist and founder of All About Embryology , Victoria Wigley, to answer key questions about genetic testing, embryo development and the complex decisions made behind the scenes. Vic...

Leading UK psychotherapist Julia Samuel MBE joins Ellie Thompson to talk about child loss and the lifelong impact of grief. Julia is one of the most trusted voices in the UK on bereavement, trauma and healing, and has spent decades supporting families through the unimaginable. Her work has shaped how we understand grief, not as something to "get over", but as something we learn to live alongside....