The Mum Mind Podcast

Have you heard of the Playdayz App? This week Stef talks to the creator of this genius idea, Mia Shepherd. When Mia became a Mum she realised how isolating it can be and also how expensive childcare was so she set about solving those issues with the Playdayz App. Meet up with parents, host play dates or even share childcare - all from the safety of the app. You have to submit verified ID to join a...

Talking to Stef this week is Aisleen Harte - the author of My Voice, My Choice. Aisleen is an early years educator and a mum, who wrote this thought provoking book about allowing children to use their voice and make their own choices. It sounds so simple but as the conversation progresses, Stef and Aisleen start to unravel all the conditioning we are taught along the way. Especially those of us th...

Padraig Danaher aka The OT Coach joins Stef this week to talk all things teenagers. They cover everything from devices to school avoidance, connecting and reconnecting. And most importantly how to turn the battlegrounds back into a fun space. You can find out more about Padraig and his work as a clinical specialist OT and positive psychology coach at www.theotcoach.ie and connect with Padraig on L...

Hayley Rice is a child and adolescent psychotherapist specializing in play therapy courses and parent-child relationship coaching, She is also a former teacher and a mum and her instagram @hayley_rice__ is full of useful info and tips. Hayley told Stef that if we look at our teenagers with a developmental lens, it can help change our mindset when dealing with their risk-taking brains! They discuss...

Emma Shafqat aka @dietitian.withadifference joins Stef today to chat about your fussy eaters! Emma is a paedeatric dietician and a fussy eating expert so she has loads of great advice for children going through a phase or those struggling a bit more. She also shares some great insights as to why kids do certain things and that we can look to evolution for the reason as opposed to our cooking!! If...

Make Love Not P*rn creator Cindy Gallop joins Stef this week to talk about how porn affects our kids and all about her new sexual education platform the MLNP academy. Cindy is honest and open and advises us parents to be the same with our kids - clear communication means we maintain an honest dialogue when they want information but also when they are uncomfortable with something that they have see...

Orla, from Emotion Skills Ireland, was full of so much valuable information about boundary setting. Have you ever thought about what type of parent you are or why a boundary is important to you? If you struggle with setting boundaries have you ever considered why? Then this episode is for you! Orla is full of wisdom with zero judgement! If you would like to find out more about Emotion Skills Train...

Welcome back to Season 8 and for many of us it is back to school time again. Aoife Lee from ParentSupport.ie is here to talk us through all the emotions we might be experiencing during these couple of weeks! You can find Aoife and all the resources she mentioned at www.parentsupport.ie and on Insta @parentsupport Stef McSherry is a mum of 2 and a pre-school activity and behaviour specialist, worki...

In the final episode of this season, Stef talks to Deirdre Holland Hannon - a leading expert in paediatric continence care and a qualified Urotherapist. With over 20 years of experience working with children and families Deirdre supports children and families with issues such as poo problems, urine postponing, and bedwetting. Deirdre is the creator of the “Toilet Training: Less Stress, More Succes...

'Anxious Children in an Anxious World' is the new, award-winning book from Dr. Mary O'Kane. Dr. Mary is a Lecturer in Psychology, Early Childhood Studies and Education as well as one of the most well-respected parenting experts in Irish Media, contributing to a range of features in television and radio. In this episode we delve into all aspects of anxiety from school anxiety to separation anxiety...

The TV drama 'Adolescence' created a lot of discussion and probably fear amongst parents of teenagers. This week Stef McSherry talks to two psychotherapists about some of the topics the series raised. An essential listen for parents of teenagers. Carol Duffy is a psychotherapist who has worked with TUSLA for 20 years and the Children's Therapy for 16 years. Carol is a senior play therapist special...

Kathie Stritch is a PT who created Griefireland.com - a place to help people navigate their grief and tell their stories. The retreats and workshops allow people to come together and share their grief journey. Her podcast, Family Flowers Only, gives people space to share their stories in a gentle and beautiful way. Tragedy struck Kathie's family when she lost her brother-in-law in a tragic acciden...

Ciara McDonnell is an intuitive and somatic practioner who helps women lead a soul led life and connect to themselves again. This episode is full of wisdom and joy and I hope you get as much from it as we did! You can find Ciara on Instagram @and_so_we_rise Stef McSherry is a mum of 2 and a pre-school activity and behaviour specialist, working with that age group for over 20 years. Stef is also th...

Dr. Joanna Fortune says that play is a state of mind and a way of being. Do we adults tend to think our children have outgrown play? When was the last time WE played? This episode is full of so much learning about when and how we can use play with our children and teenagers. Grab a pen and paper! Dr. Joanna is a psychotherapist with over 20 years clinical experience. She has a regular parenting sl...

Kevina Reel is a female health physio who knows all there is to know about the pelvic floor. In this honest conversation she talks to Stef about what the pelvic floor is and what it does, issues we can have with it and what we can do about it. Kevina has no-nonsense approach and leaves us with so many great tips, imagery and sayings! Kevina Reel owns Every Body Physio and you can find all her info...

Dr. Fiona Barry is a Chinese health practitioner specialising in fertility, hormonal issues, trauma and pain. Fiona is often on TV, radio or National Press talking about the menopause and she was an integral part of the formulation of Menoactive - part of the Revive Active family of supplements. This is a fascinating chat about this relatively new phenomenon of the 'sandwiched' generation, where w...

Eileen Keane Haly has been working with children, teens and parents for over 15 years. Her book 'The Parent' is a really easy to read, comprehensive look at what it is to be a parent. Eileen's parenting and mentoring service is based in Cork and her vast experience both there and as a Mum of 4, is an invaluable insight. This was a fascinating conversation about raising kids in this day and age. Yo...

Brenda Cormican is a business coach but also someone that is very passionate about women finding their purpose. Having a child can often be the catalyst for women finding more flexibility and freedom and this was true for Brenda too. If you would like to talk to Brenda her website is www.brendacormicanbusinesscoach.com and her Instagram is @brendacormicanbusinesscoach Stef McSherry is a mum of 2 a...

Louise George is an holistic psychotherapist and yoga instructor , who integrates yoga as part of her eating disorder recovery coaching. Louise herself suffered with anorexia and has spent the last 25 years working with people who have an eating disorder. This experience helps clients, and compliments their treatment along side the clinical and psychology teams. Louise runs the Douglas Yoga Centre...

Ann Hessman went from being a primary school teacher to a Special Education teacher to a neurodiversity parent coach. Her wealth of experience, empathy and passion helps parents advocate for their children, whilst acknowledging the grief and loneliness often experienced by parents of neurodiverse children. You can find Ann at https://www.epiphanycoaching.ie/ Or Instagram @epiphanycoaching Stef McS...

Dr. Colman Noctor is a renowned child and adolescent psychotherapist. He has a weekly parenting column in the Irish Examiner and is the resident psychotherapist on RTÉ Radio 1's Ray Darcy Show. There was so much covered in this episode.....helicopter parenting, devices, anxiety, meal times, teenagers and drinking - it is a jam-packed episode. You can follow Colman on Instagram @noctorcolman Stef M...

CEO and co-founder of Cyber Safe Kids, Alex Cooney joins Stef this week to talk devices, parental controls, online bullying, grooming an dso much more. If you need any more guidance please check out all the brilliant resources at www.cybersafekids.ie. Stef McSherry is a mum of 2 and a pre-school activity and behaviour specialist, working with that age group for over 20 years. Stef is also the crea...

Samantha Kelly aka the Tweeting Goddess is well known in the business world as a speaker and author. Samantha has given a TedX talk and appeared on Dragon's Den but today she talks to Stef about her parenting journey. Samantha talks openly about being a single parent, how she got sober and how she discovered that her daughter only had 25% hearing. You can find Samantha Kelly on LinkedIn and on all...

Dr. Derrick Standifer joins Stef for this chat from Atlanta, Georgia. Derrick earned his Ph. D. whilst being a full-time single Dad and he has used this experience to go on and become a motivational speaker and educator. He uses a Rubik's cube to help empower kids to solve life's twists and turns. You can find out more about Dr. Standifer and his work on Instagram and Facebook @dr.derrickstandifer...

Davina Steel is a biochemist, nutritionist, baker and now the author of 'Have You Ever Seen A Bee With Hives?'. This beautiful book is an informative, yet humorous, guide about food and the body, with a focus on food allergies. Davina helps guide us through allergies, intolerances and sensitivities and how to empower kids that suffer with these about speaking up and informing others. You can find...