a few things i've learnt

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman (Wreck, Sandwich) reflects on three questions: 1. What’s been the toughest challenge you’ve gone through as a parent? 2. What did you learn about yourself? 3. What soothing words do you wish you’d heard at the time? She recalls the painful period when her teenage daughter faced anxiety and bullying, while she was also grieving her best friend’s de...

DJ, broadcaster and writer Annie Macmanus, explains why she decided to leave her successful radio show at BBC Radio 1 to focus on family time and how she came to understand that there is something feminist about being able to make choices for yourself. LINKS: @Anniemacmanus https://www.anniemacmanus.com/ https://anniemacmanus.substack.com/ Annie's book - The Mess We're In - https://www.hachette.co...

British comedian Ria Lina (Mock the Week, Pointless) reveals what she has learnt from being an autistic mum raising neurodivergent children. She shares the realisation that standing up for her kids was not always helpful for them. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing words. Every guest answers the same three questions: • What’s been...

English poet and author Hollie McNish recalls the difficulty she felt when explaining death to her child as a non-religious parent. From visiting the sick person in hospital, to the death and beyond, there are many stages of questions that are hard to answer. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing words. Every guest answers the same t...

Playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Enola Holmes and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) recalls the pain of leaving his young son at school, when his son would cling to him, upset by the sudden rejection. To navigate those mornings, they invented a secret code, turning the walk to school into a shared adventure that allowing them to cope with the world. A Few Things I've Learnt i...

Olia Hercules, food writer and author of Strong Roots, shares a personal reflection on parenting her son with Fragile X syndrome, describing the shock of diagnosis and the ongoing process of acceptance. She speaks about the grief, not for her child, but for the expectations she had to let go of. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing...

Marvyn Harrison, founder of Dope Black Dads, reflects on becoming a present father without a blueprint of his own. He shares the learning curve of showing up, making mistakes, and growing alongside his children, while also navigating the realities of being a Black father in Britain. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing words. Every...

Trigger warning: third degree burn. Novelist and poet Elaine Feeney — Author of the Year at the 2025 Irish Book Awards — shares how her son’s third-degree burn changed her as a parent, making her more protective, but also helping her to listen more deeply and not assume to know how her children are feeling. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of so...

Cat Sims, podcaster and author of The Mental Load Diaries, discusses how deeply unmoored she felt during the first year of motherhood. She speaks candidly about her fear of admitting just how lonely, isolated and angry she was at times. Cat reflects on letting go of the idea of the ‘perfect mother’ and learning to accept that you can love your children but not always love the job of motherhood. A...

Trigger Warning: Baby loss. Olympic gold medallist and swimmer Rebecca Adlington discusses how she coped with miscarriage and the difficult process of explaining the loss to her children. She describes how her children witnessed her deep grief, and how the experience profoundly changed her. Rebecca also highlights the role counselling played, particularly the support she and her husband received f...

Writer and comedienne Olga Thompson reflects on the challenge of raising teenagers—learning how to support them without overstepping. She explores the shift from hands-on motherhood, where your identity is wrapped up in caring for young children, to a more uncertain stage where you have to step back. In doing so, she describes entering a phase that is both exciting and scary, where you rediscover...

Trigger Warning: Baby loss. Maggie Barratt — writer, visual artist, and star of Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other — on getting sober and learning how to be a mother when you didn’t have one yourself. She opens up about losing her first child to stillbirth, losing custody of her second at age four, and later discovering she was adopted — experiences that led to addiction, shame, and feeli...

Katherine May, acclaimed writer of ‘Wintering’, details her experience of isolation when her six-year-old son became distressed about going to school. Katherine explores what she learnt about homeschooling, radical listening, giving her son space to soothe his nervous system and why we need more conversations around what it means to be a neurodivergent parent. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast...

Freddy McConnell is a journalist whose documentary Seahorse chronicles his journey through pregnancy and the emotional realities of becoming one of the first openly pregnant trans men to share his story publicly. Freddy reflects on solo parenting, and his fight to resist the intense gender expectations placed on children from birth. He shares how everyday interactions reveal the subtle ways societ...

Trigger Warning: Suicide and smacking. Coach and therapist Donna Lancaster reflects on becoming a mother at eighteen and shares how apologising to her daughters helped her transform their relationship. She explains how she learnt through therapy that whatever we do not heal, we inevitably pass on. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothin...

Hettie Judah, curator and author of How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents), recalls having to make the decision to step away from her career at certain points in her life for the sake of her kids. She explains how it doesn't have to mean the end of your working life. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing words. Every g...

Syrian journalist, BAFTA nominated filmmaker, and activist, Waad al-Kateab recalls the difficulty of raising her child in a war zone. She explains how surviving the bombings and the uncertainty of whether they would live shaped her parenting, while gratitude and self-compassion guided her through. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothin...

Oliver Burkeman, author of 4000 Weeks and Meditations for Mortals, on losing 50% of your time when you become a parent and how winging it and muddling through is not only fine, but literally the only way. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing words. Every guest answers the same three questions: • What’s been the toughest challenge yo...

Award-winning playwright and actress Lolita Chakrabarti explains how the unpredictable, last-minute demands of freelance work can clash with raising young children, who rely on routine. She highlights how important it is for parents to receive recognition and encouragement, and shares her own journey—from feeling unable to admit she struggled with childcare to learning to be kinder to herself. A F...

Terri Apter, psychologist and author of Grandparenting, reflects on the turbulence of her daughter’s adolescence, describing how sudden distance and conflict can leave parents feeling shut out and powerless. Drawing on both personal experience and research, she gently challenges the idea that teens need to “break away” entirely, showing instead how arguments and tension often sit alongside a deep...

Sandra Igwe, speaker and maternal health advocate, discusses systemic racism and how as a black mother she felt unsupported and invisible and did not get access to help when she suffered from severe postpartum anxiety. Sandra shares how she has learnt to ask for help and how her faith has grounded her. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some so...

Trigger Warning: Miscarriage. Yasmin Khan, broadcaster and award-winning author of travel cookbooks Sabzi and Saffron Tales, talks about how difficult breastfeeding was after a traumatic birth. She struggled with low milk supply and felt like she was failing as a mother. After years of miscarriage and loss, she felt intense pressure to feed her baby, which led to feelings of grief, loneliness, and...

Lorraine Candy, journalist and bestselling author, discusses how perimenopause hit just as her children became teenagers. She describes how panic attacks and night terrors left her feeling sad, full of rage and convinced she was ruining her relationship with her kids. She also talks about seeking help for her symptoms, why more open conversations about perimenopause are needed and the power of apo...

Sarah Gwonyoma, writer and founder of What Sarah Read Next, reflects on how she coped after the unexpected death of her husband and the challenges she faced parenting through grief. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podcast for when parenting gets hard and you're in need of some soothing words. Every guest answers the same three questions: • What’s been the toughest challenge you’ve faced as a parent?...

Psychologist and best-selling author, Rick Hanson, reflects on the moment he realized his life had changed forever after the birth of his first child. He shares what parenthood taught him about marriage, communication, and intimacy. He discusses the importance of letting go of anger, asking directly for what you need, and learning to negotiate with your partner. A Few Things I've Learnt is a podca...