Gina Willard a.k.a Mitch's Mum: parenting with unconditional love

About Mitch's Mum

Grew up working class, raised Mitch as a single mother in his early years

Fought her way into a better life for both of them

Had her second child when Mitch was 15

Gina is now a successful sales manager at a large technology company

"She is the best person ever" Mitch

In this episode we cover:

Independence vs. safety - how do we navigate taking care of a child but empowering autonomy - especially when a mental health issue is present in the child

#1 thing she did that helped me during that time

Early warning signs and cues that she wished she saw in me

The #1 warning sign she wished she saw earlier that she believes is an early indicator to anxiety

The #1 game to play with your child to help counter anxious thoughts

2 tips to balance being firm and being compassionate

How to balance being a friend vs. being a parent - how to get that right

Teenage angst vs. something more serious - the answer to knowing if it's clinical

Post-natal depression twice - what it felt like for her without even knowing she had it and the reality of feeling trapped

A discussion on whether or not it's good to talk to children about big questions like values and what you believe in from an early age

Talking to her not wanting to let her down by telling her I wasn’t ok

The benefits of writing a life narrative and sitting down with your parents to talk it through - re-write your story through their story

To medicate or not to medicate your child when facing a mental health issue (*seek medical advice)

What is the end goal of mental health

Book Mitch to speak at your workplace www.mitchwallis.com