How Not to Screw Up Your Kids

1 in 5 children aged between 10-18 years is self-harming and the numbers being admitted into hospital is rising - particularly in younger children. As parents what do we need to know about self-harm? What causes it and how we can help our children and teens if they self-harm? Here are the highlights: (1:15) What is self-harm? (3:30) What are the signs to look out for? (6:30) 1 in 5 children i...

Sleep is so important for children and yet we often have so many issues getting our children to bed. This episode responds to a listener question asking to how to help their child with sleep struggles. If you need more support with this topic please also listen to Episode 5: Bedroom Routines and Sleep 💚 Let's grow our village together, please share this episode with at least one friend 💚 Complet...

Every family has a past which they want to shield their children from. It may be a relative with an addition, a past severe mental health issue, a criminal record or simply something you have not yet found the right way to talk to your children about. I will share my tips on if, when, and how we have these conversations with our children. Here are the highlights: (2:30) Why it’s important to share...

One of the major contributors to filling our bucket is challenges around parenting with our partners. The biggest problem can be when we have different parenting styles to others involved in raising our children.  Do you know your parenting style? Find out in the accompanying resource. 💚 Let's grow our village together, please share this episode with at least one friend 💚 Complete the liste...

A very candid and honest conversation with my daughter about her neurodiversity. She opens up about feeling different to her friends from an early age - they seemed to play very differently. She shares why a diagnosis helped her know herself, her experience of medication, and how she's navigating life day to day. There are also come parenting do's and don'ts. Here are the highlights: (2:30) Cather...

Daily gratitude will help empty your bucket! There is mounting evidence that the practice of gratitude not only makes us feel happier, but it also increases resilience, self-esteem, improves self-control and mental health.  It’s even better if you write it down. You can purchase your Shine Planner  here  or a gratitude journal  here    ADD HIGHLIGHTS 💚 Let's grow our...

I'm talking “Back to School’ and how we can prepare our children and teens to go back to school, start school for the first time, transition to junior school, senior school, boarding school or university. Whether you are listening to this before you child starts school or is well into the school term, the principles I share are helpful at any point in time when you need to reset patterns of being...

This week's bucket emptying episode addresses a common question: should 6-year-olds have phones? As a parent, I understand the temptation to give in to our children's requests, but in this case, it's important to consider the reasons behind it. In this episode, we explain why we believe that 6-year-olds do not need phones. Tune in to find out more! 💚 Let's grow our village together, please share...

Everyone's got an opinion about parenting. The most irritating ones are the naive comments made by people who aren't parents themselves! At the least they are an irritant at their worst they are damaging to our wellbeing. Join me as I rant a little - then offer you some (hopefully) wise words to navigate more peacefully through them. Here are the highlights:  (2:00) Parenting is one of the ha...

Battles with our children at mealtimes can create stressful family situations. It’s helpful to identify why your child won’t eat, is it texture, specific food types or a phobia? Please trust your gut instinct as a parent and if you are concerned, please consult your GP for medical advice. If your child struggles with eating you might find these additional episodes helpful: Ep 9: The Link Between C...

I published this first episode about Anxiety in June 2021, and it has been hugely popular. I've recently had lots of requests for help around anxiety, so thought it was a great time to republish it. As they say 'repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment!' Even if you listened back in 2021, I think you'll find it useful to listen agai...

One of the most important things we can do as parents is spend some time as a family, each week, taking time to check in and see what’s working and what we need to adjust going forward. Did you have a family planning meeting this week?  💚 Let's grow our village together, please share this episode with at least one friend 💚 Complete the listener poll to let me know what you'd like in future...

How can we use a chunk of time - usually the summer, but not always - to work on readying our child for something? This might be a school / nursery start, a transition, or simply learning to be independent and confident. I share my top five tips and a free resource to help you get your child on board. Here are the highlights:  (3:10) Work with the end in mind (6:40) Focus on the overall...

We simply ask our child to do something and repeatedly get the answer… No! It can be incredibly frustrating. We know our children naturally go phases of saying no, but what can we do to help minimise the repeated no answer?  I’ll talk you through a few quick strategies which should help, whatever the age of your child. 💚 Let's grow our village together, please share this episode with at leas...

Whether it's your child pulling the age old nag "everyone else is / has", or you get caught in the parental comparison that "everyone else is, so maybe we should" I'll help you navigate this minefield from both sides. Here are the highlights:  (3:10) Understand that the request comes from wanting to fit in (6:40) Acknowledge what the request means to your child (8:36) Avoid lecturing! (10:50)...

As parents we often find ourselves in patterns and cycles which have become habitual, and which don’t serve us, or our family. Maybe we tolerate behaviour because we’re too exhausted to make the change, or we know we are likely to encounter challenges, so we maintain the status quo to keep everyone happy? A good morning routine helps us step out of auto-pilot and more into conscious parenting. I c...

What can we do when we find our parenting varies so drastically from our partners that's it’s causing real issues at home - impacting our children, our relationship and making family life feel like a battleground?? Here are the highlights:  (2:30) Not minor disagreements, but core values  (5:00) Parenting is a reflection of what is happening in your entire life, not just your role as a p...

"Kiss you Grandma Oliver, there's a good boy"  "No, I don't want to!!"  Sound familiar?  We can get caught in the middle between wanting to support our children, but also trying to keep our own parents happy. Join me as I share my strategies, and why it’s so important we support our children with the decisions they make about consent. 💚 Let's grow our village together, please share...

These three heartbreaking words elicits one of two responses from us - deep hurt, or anger at their ungrateful rudeness!!! I'll explain why our children and teens throw this at us and how best to respond - not only in the moment, but in longer term. Here are the highlights:  (2:00) We’re not meant to be their best friend (4.50) Try to stay compassionate and balanced  (8:45} Please don’t...

Before you listen to this episode you need to listen to Part 1. Have you? Great, you've listened to the episode on guilt, now I’ll talk about judgement.  We all feel judged as parents. By other parents, by friends and parents of our children's friends, as well as our own internal judgement, and the comparisons we make with the parenting influencers and high-profile mummies on social media.&nb...

How can we cultivate generosity within our children and an understanding of how privileged they are? I'll share the three common things we do which don't work, and my top five tips for encouraging generosity, so we don't have to nag about how lucky they are! Here are the highlights:  {1:00} What is generosity? {3:30} Three things we shouldn’t do…  {10:40} Don’t wait for entitlement to sh...

This episode is personal as I discuss the guilt and judgement we experience as parents, and specifically mothers. In fact it means so much to me that we had to split the recording into 2 episodes. This is Part 1 discussing guilt. I wanted to record an episode about the guilt and judgement we feel as parents, especially mothers. In fact it's a topic I feel so strongly about that we had to split the...

Natasha Devon MBE is a writer, presenter & activist. She tours schools, universities and events delivering talks as well as conducting research on mental health, body image, gender & equality. You’re in for a real treat as we discuss her latest book ‘Clicks: How to be your best self online”. Here are the highlights:  {3:00} Universal mental health challenges {9:48} What affects mental...

This episode responds to a listener question highlighting something so many parents worry about. "How can I make separations easier for my child, for instance when being dropped at school, friends etc?" In this episode I’ll explain separation anxiety and share strategies to support you, and your child understand why it is happening and to manage the situation. 💚 Let's grow our village together, p...

This episode is about how you can achieve sibling harmony. Now let me start by being totally honest and upfront – sibling rivalry, disagreements and fall outs are normal. Your children will want to kill each other at times and really dislike each other most of the rest of the time – and that’s normal, you aren’t a bad parent, we don’t all get along with everyone! However, there are things we do as...