If mealtimes in your house feel like a daily battle, this one’s for you.

For Episode 3 of Dear Mum, I’m joined by Charlotte Stirling-Reed - NHS-trained child nutritionist and an actual guru of weaning, toddler food and everything in between. And we’re getting into the thing that sends so many of us over the edge - fussy eating!

We talk about why “fussy eater” is a label that can make things worse, what’s actually normal (spoiler: loads of it), and how our reactions - even the well-meaning ones - can accidentally turn food into a power struggle.

Charlotte shares the practical stuff you can try straight away: why tiny portions help, how to pair safe foods with new foods, the truth about the 10–15 tries rule, and why sitting with them and eating the same meal can be more powerful than any “one more bite” negotiation.

We also cover high-chair refusal, kids getting up and down mid-meal, when siblings start copying each other’s fussiness, and how to make the table feel like a calmer place to be - without turning dinner into a circus (even though yes, we’ve all tried).

If you’re deep in the trenches and thinking “I’m doing this wrong” - this episode will give you reassurance, a plan, and that exhale you’ve been needing.

New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss one ✨

Blog posts mention in the pod:🥣 Fussy eating help for toddlers - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2025/12/fussy-eating-help-for-toddlers/

🥣 Fussy eating advice - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/factsheets/coping-with-fussy-foodies/

🥣 Help my child won’t stay in their highchair - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2024/09/how-to-get-my-baby-to-stay-in-their-highchair/

Follow Charlotte

IG - https://www.instagram.com/sr_nutrition/

FB - https://www.facebook.com/SRNutrition

Website - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/

Follow me (Charlie!)

IG - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder

And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees

www.bumpsandburpees.com

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️

Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Welcome back to Dear Mum - and this week I’m joined by Olivia Hammond - mum of two, and the woman a lot of you will know as the original “festival baby” mum… yes, she took her firstborn to Glastonbury Festival… and honestly? Iconic!

We talk about what it’s really like becoming a mum at 25 when it’s totally unplanned - how it flips your whole life upside down (including travel plans, friendships, and the way you see yourself)… and then doing it all again when baby number two is also a surprise.

Olivia is so honest about the whiplash of going from “out every weekend” to being responsible for an actual tiny human, and the lonely bits that come with being the first in your friendship group to have kids.

We also get into relationships after babies - how dads can take longer to adjust, why date nights are a lovely idea in theory (but not when you’re exhausted), and why “love language” in the trenches is basically just… someone making your life easier.

Plus: the reality of juggling being a present mum while also working as a content creator, and why sometimes the only way to survive is to be a bit more Type B and lower your standards.

Pop this one on for the school run, a buggy walk, or while you’re doing the lunchbox panic - and if it makes you feel less alone, that’s exactly what we’re here for.

New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss one ✨

Follow OliviaIG - https://www.instagram.com/olivia_hammond/TT - https://www.tiktok.com/@oliviaclairem

Follow me (Charlie!)IG - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder

And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpeeswww.bumpsandburpees.com

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Trigger warning: postnatal depression, suicidal ideation, mental health.

Welcome to the very first episode of Dear Mum!

I’m so glad you’re here because we are very much setting the tone - funny, honest, zero judgement… and the kind of chat you can have with your cold tea in hand.

For Episode 1, I’m joined by Chessie King, and we’re getting into the real stuff: what happens to your relationship after a baby, when you’re both exhausted and it starts to feel like you’re just… passing the child between you and surviving the day.

Chessie shares how things got really hard for her and her husband Mat, the moment she thought they might be heading for divorce, and the turning point when he realised he’d been experiencing postnatal depression as a dad.

We also chat mum friendships (from school gate small talk to the people you can properly be yourself with), body confidence after baby, and why the best advice is often the simplest: take the help - and don’t feel guilty about it for a second.

Pop this one on for a walk, a night feed, or the school run - and if it makes you feel a little less alone, that’s the whole point.

New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss one ✨

Follow Chessie

IG - https://www.instagram.com/chessieking/

TT - https://www.tiktok.com/@chessiekingcarter

Follow me (Charlie!)

IG - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder

And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees

www.bumpsandburpees.com

Dear Mum is a Bear Lane Production 🎙️🎥

Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Introducing: Dear Mum... 💜💛

The funny, honest, no-judgement podcast that feels like the mums’ group chat that’s always open - whenever you need it.

Hosted by Charlie Barker (mum of three and business owner), each episode is packed with the good, the hard, and the chaotic bits in between - real conversations, stories you couldn’t make up, vulnerable moments that feel like a deep breath, and practical little wins that actually help.

From newborn nights to exam weeks, nap traps to parenting with your partner, it’s motherhood and grown-up life, as it really happens.Not the “perfect parent” show.

Not the “we’ve got it all figured out” show. Just your go-to mum chat - in your ears (and on your screen).

New episodes every Thursday, from January 29th ✨

Follow now so you don’t miss the first one.

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️

Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW