Get a Grip - Evidence-Based Conversations for Parents and Educators

Our researcher of the month, Dr Rachel Nesbit, talks to Dr Weston about her recent paper which explores the importance of adventurous play to children's mental health and development. She talks about barriers to play and gives specific advice on how adventurous play can be successfully facilitated in school settings.

In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with Suzi Godson, founder of the MeeToo mental help app, an NHS endorsed app, where young people aged 11-25 can seek help anonymously and receive reliable, age-appropriate and moderated support and advice from peers or trained counsellors.

In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with Jen Gale, author of 'The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide', a book packed full of practical advice about how to make small changes to our actions and mindset which will make a big difference to the world around us. Listen for tips about Christmas and simple ways that we can significantly reduce our environmental impact.

In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with Professor Christia Spears Brown about the impact of bias, particularly in the context of race and gender. They discuss how to identify our own implicit biases, outline practical strategies for reducing levels of bias in the home and consider how to protect young people at risk of being targeted by bias. 

In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with Maria Strauss, partner at law firm Farrer & Co, about how schools should respond to the recent Ofsted rapid review into sexual abuse in schools. Maria outlines how schools can implement effective change and references many relevant resources and reports that can help.

Our researcher of the month, Professor Charlotte Markey, talks to Dr Weston about her forthcoming book, 'Being You: The Body Image Book for Boys'. Due for publication in April, it helps boys to understand and appreciate their bodies as they become young men and to navigate their way through inaccurate health/diet information and unrealistic body ideals portrayed in the media. We caught up with Professor Markey to find out more.

In this podcast, Dr Weston chats with epidemiologist Dr Gemma Lewis about her research into the causes of mental health problems in teenagers. They discuss the differences between boys' and girls' mental health, the potential impact of academic pressure, mental health for university students and universal interventions that could be impactful. 

In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with brain scientist, Dr Duncan Astle, about how to consolidate learning in our memory and finds out some actionable and evidence-based revision tips. They debunk some common neuromyths and explore why we need to change the way we think about intervening to help children who struggle with learning.

Our researcher of the month, Dr Jo Van Herwegen, talks to Dr Weston about her recent paper, which examines the prevalence of neuromyths surrounding common neurodevelopmental conditions, particularly among educators. They discuss the detrimental impact that neuromyths can have on young people and why it's important for parents and school staff to understand more about neuromyths and for teachers to receive more training in this area.

In this podcast, Dr Weston talks with sociologist, Dr Katherine Davies, about her research into the nature of family relationships. They talk about Dr Davies' recent project examining the impact of Brexit on family life and delve into her work on the complexities of sibling relationships and the impact that brothers and sisters can have on our sense of identity.