In this episode of Guilty Parent Club series, Dr Jo explores two more of her ‘parent P keys’ - the Playfulness and Predictability keys - designed to help parents break out of the guilt and self-doubt cycle. Drawing on practical tools and scientific evidence, Jo discusses the reality of unmet parental needs, why we react so strongly to our children at times, and how understanding our own triggers can make daily life more manageable. Jo offers actionable steps for rebalancing self-care and regaining calm in the chaos of family life.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why parental needs often go unmet, and how embracing playfulness can support emotional regulation.
• The ESCAPES framework for identifying and meeting your own needs, plus pouring in more positive experiences including practical "tweakments" for daily life.
• Understanding what triggers strong reactions in us as parents, and how these often reflect deeper beliefs or past experiences.
• Using the Predictability Key to plan ahead for tricky moments and minimise parent guilt and shame.

To get more in-depth resources, workbooks, and private episodes from Jo, visit drjothepsychologist.com/guiltyparentclub.

Don't forget to download the workbook that accompanies this podcast series here.

I'm Dr Jo Mueller, and I'm a Clinical Psychologist on a crusade to help as many parents as I can feel more confident in parenting your child in a human, imperfect way. Find out more about me and The Guilty Parent Club here.

The Guilty Parent Club: where good enough really is good enough.

Music credit: Joseph McDade