Is It Just Us?

Ever feel your stress levels rise the second you hear,  "I'm bored!"  You're not alone! In this week's episode, we're chatting about why boredom can be such a big parenting trigger, why we feel so responsible for keeping our children entertained..all the time!.. and how a little boredom might actually be one of the best things for their creativity, and resilience too! We give you lots of...

Summer can bring sunshine (eh sometimes!), slower mornings, and special memories...but, it can also bring pressure, guilt, expense, and a never-ending mental load. In this episode, we chat honestly about the realities of parenting through the summer months, from juggling work and childcare to managing expectations, activities, and everything in between. If summer feels both wonderful and overwhelm...

From meltdowns and tantrums to tears, worries and anger, big emotions can leave parents feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to respond. In this episode, we explore what's really going on beneath those emotional moments and share practical ways to support children while staying steady yourself. We share our own stories and funny parenting moments that have had us in our big feelings too! Hayley...

Periods can bring questions, worries, big feelings and major changes, yet so many parents feel unsure about how best to support their child through it all. In this episode, we chat about the information children really need, how to approach period conversations with confidence, and simple ways to help your child feel informed, supported and comfortable as they navigate this important stage of grow...

This week, we're joined by a really special guest, Aedin Shannon, a childhood friend of Hayley's who is now living in Perth, Australia. Aedin shares her experience of parenting along side her partner, Kenny who has ADHD. We talk about navigating family life with their two boys, carrying a greater share of the mental load, and parenting their son following his ADHD diagnosis too. We chat about the...

From confidence and friendships to social media, self-image, and finding their voice, raising girls today can feel like navigating a world so different to the ones we grew up in ourselves. In this episode, we're chatting about some of the unique pressures girls face and how we can support them to grow into confident, resilient young women! We hope you enjoy and get lots from this conversation. Sen...

One year later… eventually 😅 In this episode of Is It Just Us...?, we’re looking back on the past year of podcasting, parenting, work, life, chaos, and all the moments in between following our recent podcast first birthday! From the episodes that hit home most, to the things that surprised us, challenged us, made us laugh, this is a real, unfiltered catch-up between us! We chat about what we...

This week we are joined by Mick Moran, CEO of the Irish Internet Hotline, for one of the most important conversations we’ve had on the podcast so far. We talk honestly about what children and teenagers are really being exposed to online right now, from pornography and violent content to online grooming, manipulation, sextortion, AI generated imagery, misogynistic content and the growing...

Welcome back! In this episode we are answering quick fire questions straight from Instagram. We have a laugh and a chat about some everyday parenting challenges and thoughts. We hope you enjoy and thank you all sooo much for listening! Send your thoughts and comments to us at isitjustuspod@gmail.com There is still time to join us for our super popular Raising Boys Who Thrive webinar happening toni...

🎉It's our birthday! Is It Just Us? Podcast is ONE year old! THANK YOU to each and every one of you who listen! We really appreciate it. We have had a blast and loved bringing you a new episode every, single week. If you haven't already done so, it would make our day if you could subscribe, rate and tell a friend about our pod! 🥰 ⭐️To say a huge thank you here is a bonus episode we know you will...

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...