How Not to Screw Up Your Kids

Are you getting in your child’s way? Should you praise effort or results? And are you strict enough with enforcing your own rules? In today’s episode, I’m expanding on a recent episode (linked below), where we explored how your children build their sense of self, to answer the above questions and more. I’m going to give you the five areas where I believe you can really help your children navigate...

What went wrong? Have I failed my children? That’s the question many parents ask themselves when contemplating home schooling. But in reality, the school system simply isn’t the best choice for some children. In the second part of our discussion, we look closer at the process of choosing a home schooling option, what a good education really looks like, and when or why you might transition your kid...

Has your child ever refused to go to school? It’s a morning routine all parents dread, but for nearly one in five parents, this is a common occurrence.. But what do you do? In the first of this special two part episode, I am going to explore the reasons why our kids might not want to go to school and the ways in which both parents and educators can identify and support this. Because as absenteeism...

Does your child refuse to go to bed? Is the nighttime routine a daily stress? And why won’t your children sleep when they’re tired? Today’s episode is a listener question, and one I’m sure affects most parents, because it’s all about how to make bedtime less of a battle and more of a breeze. I am going to talk through the reasons why the sleep showdown happens, give you three things you can do, an...

Are you more emotionally mature than your children? Do you project your problems onto your kids? Does your child feel like a burden or a failure? These might be tough questions to think about but, according to a recent study, these are common things your teenagers might be thinking, but do not feel like they can tell you. And don’t worry, you are not a bad parent, and this isn’t a generational thi...

When I say breathwork, what comes to mind? Many of you will think of yoga, meditation, or something a bit silly. I’m sure most of you don’t think it can help your children, and I get it! But did you know that good breathwork can have real, physical benefits on our nervous system, our brain, and our body? In other words, it’s not just some hippy dippy nonsense, and I’m going to explain why. This me...

“I want it all. I want it now” - timeless words sung by the late Freddie Mercury, and sampled by every child ever, including your own, am I right? But let’s be honest, they’re not the only ones. As parents, we put ourselves under so much pressure to keep up with the Joneses and have it all… but what does that even mean? A big house? Private school? Or maybe just financial security? In this episode...

Let’s be clear: tylenol does not cause autism. It does not cause ADHD. Neurodivergence is not contagious. And it is not a disease to be caught or cured. You’ve probably heard these claims being made by certain politicians and Presidents recently, but let me assure you: there is no credible scientific evidence to support this. As parents, we already feel so much shame and guilt about our kids’ neur...

Someone leaves you in a room with a tasty treat. You can eat it right away, but you’ve been promised two treats if you resist for 15 minutes. What do you do? This isn’t a riddle, but a very important experiment called The Marshmallow Test, and I bring this up to show you that building self-control and willpower in our kids is an age-old challenge for parents like you and me. Which is why in this e...

Is your child’s self-confidence at rock bottom? Are you feeling a bit helpless, or lost at how to help? Firstly, remember we have all been there, I promise you! And secondly, this bucket emptying episode builds on our previous episodes about confidence, but this time I talk specifically about how to boost really low self-confidence in your kids and teens. I’m going to share three things that I gua...

Confidence is something we all struggle with, sometimes on a daily basis. But for our kids, who are dealing with new experiences, new challenges, and constant change all the time, their confidence and self belief is being really tested. Childhood is not quite as easy as we like to remember.. we’re all guilty of that! That’s why I’m kicking off a trilogy of episodes, taking a long hard look at conf...

Do you find yourself getting louder and louder when your kids don’t listen to you? Are you constantly fighting to get them to do what you ask? In the second of our two part bucket-emptying special, I am helping you manage your child’s non-compliance: when they just say no or, more annoyingly, they ignore you completely! Last week we talked through some of the main reasons why your children do this...

On today’s episode, I am joined by Tish Feilden, formerly a teacher and psychotherapist, but today one of the founders of Jamie’s Farm. Alongside her son, they have created a life-changing program that, in their words, leaves children ‘better equipped to thrive academically, socially and emotionally during their school years and beyond.’ We have a great chat about the benefits of putting the scree...

Do your children refuse to follow boundaries? Do you think you are never being listened to? In the first of a two part bucket emptying special, we are going to figure out the tricky issue of setting boundaries and getting our kids to actually respect them! But here’s a spoiler: you should not feel guilty for setting healthy boundaries. As a parent, it’s your job to be the rulemaker, and your kids...

Your sense of self is so important, and a lot of it is wrapped up in who we think we are and how we compare ourselves to others. The same goes for your children, and supporting this will be one of your biggest challenges as parents. That’s why, in this episode, I’m going to explain what identity is, I’ll talk through the different developmental stages, and what you can do to help your kids navigat...

Do you compare yourself to other parents? Do you sometimes think you’re not good enough? Here’s a secret… you are good enough, and every parent out there has the same doubt. I say it’s time to silence the inner critic! In this short bucket emptying episode, I give you four practical tips you can start doing today, to get rid of your inner critic and start being the happiest, most confident version...

Everything you know about ADHD is probably wrong. That’s the title of an influential article written by today’s guest, journalist and author Jessie Hewitson. Her sons are both neurodivergent and, it turns out, so is she, which she discovered while writing her book on ADHD. Jessie joins me to talk about the challenges she faced before her son’s diagnosis, the guilt she feels as a parent for not act...

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...

Is your child about to start school for the first time? Are they about to return from their Summer holidays? How do you know if they’re ready? Studies suggest that a majority of parents believe their children are ready for school, but many teachers believe a large portion of kids are not ready for school when they start. So who’s right? In this episode, I explore some of the red flags that might s...

As parents, it’s our job to make the rules and enforce them. And it’s our children’s job to challenge those boundaries and push us to our limits. That’s why, when we try getting them to do something they simply don’t want to do, we often hear “you don’t trust me!” Even though it’s normal and age appropriate, I get it - it’s so frustrating. How do you parent this? How do you respond to this apparen...

Are your children smart? Spoiler alert: it doesn’t matter. I don’t believe that academic intelligence means your child will be successful in life, because real life is about so much more than grades. In this episode I am going to reveal what I think are the five essential life skills your kids need to be successful. I’ll tell you what they are, and give you practical ways you can develop this skil...

Do your children shut down when you ask them questions? Are they often frustrated that you don’t understand them? Do they think you don’t listen, or worse, don’t care? Active listening doesn’t come naturally to us. It’s a learned skill, and it helps us show our kids that we’re not just hearing them, but we understand them, and when their guard comes down you will be AMAZED at the results. In this...

Do your children constantly fight and argue? There are many reasons why brothers and sisters butt heads, and it’s totally normal, but often we’re too busy doing damage control that we don’t take a step back to think about what we can do differently. In this episode, I’m going to give you five hacks which you can start using immediately to help your warring children get along (mostly). So pour your...

What do you do with defiant children who won’t get involved in group activities? I recently had this question from a listener, and I’m sure they’re not the only parent dealing with this! So in this bucket emptying episode, I’m going to give you some practical tips and easy things you can do right away, so that you and your children are happier! So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjo...

Whether you’re expecting your first child or your tenth, parenting never gets easier. At every age, with every new addition, we as new parents have to learn to expect the unexpected, and if you learn that when you’re expecting, the unexpected might not end up being so… unexpected. You see? In this episode, I’m going to help you prepare for your parenting journey, because even though there’s no mag...