Honey You're Ruining Our Kid

Whether you're toilet training, navigating a teen's feelings of isolation or just trying to get your kid to stop being such a picky eater - this is the episode for you. Parenting is flipping hard but we are not in it on our own. Hearing the troubles of others can help. Having 20 years experience helping parenting of children with severe behavioural issues, Tina is here to help. And Jarlath is here to read out the emails!

Question 1 

What do you do if you’re toilet training your toddler, you do everything right and they still regress? Do you bang your head off the wall and get the nappies back out or do you change it up and start again.  There's a bit more to it than that.

Question 2- 

Do we ever stop worrying about our kids and their friendships? It’s extra tough if your child isn’t a sharer. Without any info it's tempting to go straight to panic? Worrying that your kids are lonely, isolated and withdrawn is so common. Is there a way to gain insight into their day? How do you get them to share their private life and keep some of your worries at bay?

Question 3- 

Picky eaters are the reason so many parents are completely exhausted by bedtime. They spend energy they don’t have trying to prepare a healthy meal and it’s met with refusal time after time. How do you stop this pattern from gaining ground in your home? "Tina’s Tapas" have come to the rescue again. Listen in to see how this process works. 

We love getting your emails. Keep them coming. No parenting issue is too big or too small for Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. 

Email us at [email protected]. 

If you want to hear more why not head over to our Patron and listen to our extra bits. Thank you for listening in and supporting our podcast. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

The first few weeks back at school are hard enough without your child refusing to wear shoes! What do you do when your kid flatly refuses to something as basic as footwear? If you have ever come face to face with the determination of a 4 year old, you will know that ultra marathon runners look like big softies compared to them. Tina knows how to defuse and rewire these situations. In her 20 years working with kids with severe behavioural issues, she has seen the shoe issue over and over again. Today she explains the key strategies that she has seen work with stubborn kids.

The red mist rage of an otherwise good kid can be hard to comprehend. Spitting, punching, screaming and name calling for extended periods can leave any parent wondering, "Where did I go wrong?" It's not your fault. In a lot of cases, something else is happening with the rage filled kid. Tina walks us through the steps towards talking them off the ledge and the calm needed to observe where this emotion is coming from.

Finally, an email comes in from a mother whose daughter is mourning the loss of an older friend. She hasn't passed away. She just doesn't get to see her any more. The absence has revealed what some might consider an obsession. What do you do if your kid has developed an unhealthy reliance on one friend or infatuation with another person? It's a very tough challenge to face as a parent and Tina admits, it's a tough one to handle as an educator. All behaviours can be changed. This one really is an eye opening episode.

There's also a fun extra section where we look a bit deeper into figuring out if something is happening at school. How do we get our kids to open up to us about their life beyond the school drop off. The tip Tina has on this are going to help a lot of people fretting over the happiness of their kids on the playground. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad is the only place to hear the whole episode each week and to support the continued creation of this show. Email [email protected] with your issues, problems or life hacks for kids of all ages. Come see Jarlath on tour www.jigser.com/gigs

We are back. Season 3 kicks off with a bang after a long summer break Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid! has a bulging sack of emails from parents with all kinds behaviours they need to sort out. Get involved and email us at [email protected] or follow us on Instagram.

Question 1 Restoring Boundaries When Tantrums Break Them Down!

Is your child testing your boundaries? Has your patience worn thin? You are not alone. In this week’s episode Tina tries to help a mum who is struggling with meltdowns, tantrums and risk taking. How can she bring some balance back into her home? How can she reset the boundaries and return her house to the calm she is craving? 

Question 2 Throwing It Back In Your Face!

Children all experience different phases in terms of the interest in developing or acquiring new movement skills. Developing your child’s ability to throw something is actually a huge milestone. However what do you do when your 1 year old seems to have an innate ability to throw. Not just balls, but everything. This behaviour can quickly become out of control and sometimes dangerous. How do you go about redirecting the interest whilst still nurturing the skill? 

Question 3 I Think My Child Is Gifted!

Navigating your child’s development can be so incredibly stressful. Worrying about them reaching all their milestones so the health-nurse can tick her/his agenda for ‘normal’ development off her chart. What do you do and where do you go if your child is showing signs of giftedness? Everyone will have advice but like everything, is it your mammy gut that should guide you in deciding how best to approach this with your child. There are always other areas that children need to develop. So if learning is coming easy, use that free time to help them grow their interests in sport, music, social and emotional areas. 

Finally a parent gets in touch about their 9 year old boy who is terrified of putting on weight. What can you do if a negative body image had taken hold this early in life. Tina has seen this a lot and has a few excellent strategies that might be able to help.

Thank you for supporting our podcast. If you want to hear more why not head over to our Patreon to listen to the extra large episode and our archive of episodes. This week a parent gets in touch about her 7 year old who is terrified about putting on weight. What can we do if our kids already have a negative relationship with food and their body image.

We cannot believe it’s the final episode of season 2 of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. 

We will be back in September with a brand new season for you all to enjoy. Thank you for supporting our show, you guys are just the best. Our show has grown because you guys have supported it and we are so appreciative. Emails will stay open all summer long, you need me, I’ll be there for you, that’s the whole reason for our show. I want mums and Dads to feel less alone. 

Question 1 "The Worst Waiting Game"

Waiting for your child to have their needs assessed is the longest waiting game you’ll play as a parent. While you wait the feeling of isolation and worry can be overwhelming. This week a mum gets in touch wondering how she can help her son while they wait. There are so many online resources available to us these days. Once we know how to access them we can absolutely take control and try different things while we wait for the assessments teams to catch up. 

Question 2 "My Kid Is Worried At Night"

If your child is complaining of a pain in their belly and the doctor can’t find a reason why, then anxiety probably is the reason. We see it all the time, children who are feeling worried but that worry is manifesting as a real pain in their stomachs. How do we help them through? How do we teach them how to cope? When it starts affecting their sleep, then this rolls out to affect the house, what can you do to both help your child and get the house back on track?

Question 3 "My Kid Is Testing The Limits"

How do you get your out of control 5 year old back on track. If he’s exhibiting new behaviours and testing your limits how do you get him back to being a calm and happy boy. Fair rules, set boundaries and seeing through consequences can change your life. Listen in to hear how best to put them in place. 

We wish you guys a happy summer ahead. Emails will remain open, pop one over whenever you need us and we will try our best to be there for you - [email protected]. 

Why not play catch up while you wait for the next season? Season 1 and 2 are available wherever you get your pods. 

Become a Patreon member by www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Are your kids melting your head? Are you worried for someone else's kids? Are you allowed to check your kid's phone? Welcome to our penultimate episode of HYROK for this season. Season 3 will return in September. Our emails will always be attended [email protected] is the address to send whatever issues you're having or solutions you have stumbled upon. We would love to hear from you.

Question 1 "That Won't Be Cute Much Longer!"

This week a worried aunt gets in touch about her nephew's out of control behaviour. She is worried about his transition from the "isn’t he cute" phase to the "can you stop being such a little bollox" phase. Can she intervene and help his parents or is any intervention deemed as over stepping? 

Question 2 "Should Their Phone Be Your Phone?"

We are in the Wild West of mobile phones. Children seem to be getting access to them younger and younger every year. When we hand over such a massive responsibility to our children without any real guidance can we really blame them when it ends up getting them in all kinds of trouble. When we can’t really avoid our kids having mobile phones, how can we help direct them to stay safe while using them? 

Question 3 "Nightmare At Home, Angel In School!"

The troublesome three year old has taken over from the terrible twos. Every week we get emails in from parents at the end of their tether with their three year old mood swings. This week is no different. Frustration is nearly always the explanation to why your child might be misbehaving. Identify the frustration and you’ll get to the root of the cause. It is only then that real change and emotional growth can begin. Trust me, three year olds are my bag, these suggestions on coping with their outburst really do work. 

Thank you for listening in to another episode of Honey You Are Ruining Our Kid.  If you've got any worries pop an email over your us at [email protected]. 

For the extra juicy stuff swing on over to our Patreon www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. 

From your kids giving you no privacy to tantrums that go off the deep end - this episode has got it all. Tina has to dig deep to find the right strategies to help these parents, Jar goes back to getting pantsed in public and an unexpected response from the biggest star in children's tv. It’s our bank holiday Monday special and boy do we have an episode for you.

Question 1 - Listen to me!

A very frustrated dad gets in touch this week to figure out why his kids insist on ignoring him?  Family meeting are a must. Iron out those creases.  Get some rules in place. Explain what behaviour you expect from your kids and get ready for a much more enjoyable summer with your children. 

Question 2 - Caught In The Lady Garden!

If you live in a house with doors that have no locks how are you expected to have any privacy? Is it even fair for your partner to employ a "no key in doors" policy? How many times does your kid need to walk in on you naked before you’re allowed to pop a lock on a door?

Question 3 - Non-sleeping Beauties!

We love hearing from friends. A wonderful one got in touch this week seeking out advice for her sleep deprived single mom friend. When your kids have no respect for bedtime how to do address it and establish a bedtime routine that will actually work? 

Thank you so much for tuning in to this weeks episodes of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. Why don’t you head on over to a Patreon to hear about the hilarious A list kid star I got in touch with this week in my attempts to help a very stressed out mom. www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad You will also find Tina's top three tips for keeping your cool with the kids this summer.

Emails open all summer - [email protected]. 

The smell of summer is upon us or is that just panic in the air? How the hell are we going to entertain our kids? Tina can help with that worry on this week’s episode. Plus Jarlath looks back on some hilarious childhood tales, we hear about a kid that treasures his poo and a kid that is all of sudden rude to their mother. Can you get on top of a behaviour that suddenly appears? Tina thinks so.

Question 1- 

What do you do when your kid starts being rude? What is the appropriate response? How can you get your child to stop?

When daddy has fast become the favourite and you feel personally attacked at every turn how do you manage your emotions while surviving your toddler. 

Question 2- 

We all want our children to be proud of themselves but what do you do when they have taken pride in their waste disposal management. This week we hear from a mum whose kid has started storing their poos, spurred on by immense pride in their shites they have fallen into the habit of not only showing their poos off proudly but of saving them and displaying them. 

Question 3- 

The summer break is fast approaching. How will we keep our kids entertained? How will we stop ourselves from losing our minds. Get the family meeting going. Get the wall chart out. Plan the summer as a team. Make it fair, make it fun, make it workable. 

Thank you for listening in to another episode of our parenting podcast. If you want more head on over to our Patreon. 

Email any questions into [email protected]. For an extra chunk this week head to www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad - Jar and Tina talk about regulating kids and their technology. Patreon is how we fund this podcast - please considering supporting us and its creation today.

Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid is about to save your mind and soul this summer. Listen in for the top 5 survival skills for parenting during the holidays. Tina will walk you through how you can enjoy and survive your kids this summer. 

Question 1- 

How do we get our children to be rational about their irrational fears? How can we help them cope so that they can get to a place where they can push through? Coupled with needing to get the grandparents on board. Is any of this even possible? 

Question 2- 

When your child starts throwing how do you stop it? Are they really throwing objects in frustration or are they doing it for a laugh? Is it a language frustration, can focusing on how they communicate actually help them stop throwing. 

Question 3- 

How do you nurture your sore loser, it is possible to funnel that fiery spirit and transform your ultra competitive child into a team player who doesn’t mind the odd loss? 

Thank you for tuning into another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. Emails are open and while are podcast is nearly about to break for its summer holidays, emails will remain open all summer long. So please email any questions you have into [email protected]. 

Come see Jarlath Regan's standup comedy show www.jigser.com/gigs

Welcome back to another episode of "Honey! You’re Ruining Our Kid". On this week's episode we explore this new generation of natural born critic kids, healthy sibling relationships and Tina’s favourite subject- menstruation misery. To hear even more on when it might be time to take your kid to a specialist go to the XL episode on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Question 1-

Have we shaped our kids to criticise rather than celebrate talent? In this week’s episode we discuss the steps you can take to retrain your children to enjoy rather than destroy what they are watching on tv and in the wider world.

Question 2- 

Raising teenagers is so hard, even harder if your wife has passed away and you’re now navigating all the teenage girl stuff on your own. When she feels like she has never needed her mum more how can you fill those shoes? Is 14 years too old to not have started getting your period? Where can this dad go for advice and how can he reassure his daughter that everything is going to be okay? 

Question 3 

Sibling relationships can be so tricky. As parents we try our best to manifest healthy relationships between our kids. It’s not always possible. What do you do if you notice that the older sibling isn’t being kind or fair to the younger kid. How do you rebalance the relationship ensuring fairness going forward? 

Thank you for listening in to another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our kid. 

Our show only exists because you guys support it and help it grow. We are so grateful. 

Lying. Why do our kids lie? Are they just experimenting with the truth or are they fully sure we are all fools and that they can get away with anything? One thing is for sure, if you don't get on top of it early, you could be raising the next President of the United States of America. Massive laughs and huge insight in today's episode. As always we have three great questions from three of our great listeners. 

Question 1 "My babysitters drink on the job. Can I ask them not to?"

Parents looking after your kids. Is it possible to direct your parents on how they should mind your children. If you’re asking them to break their fully formed routines. Is it ever going to be worth rocking the boat? What if alcohol is involved?

Question 2 "The child that only wants boob!"

When your baby is demanding and nothing seems enough you might find yourself feeling completely frazzled from the exhaustion of it all. What can you do if they refuse to eat and they only want the boob. If your baby is hurting themselves from feeling frustrated it might be from the lack of rules rather than the limitless freedom. 

Question 3 "When love breaks down, what can you do when your partner is out to get you?"

When a marriage breaks down it’s hard on everyone. What effect can it have on your children if one side is trying to be mature about the situation while the other side is trying to paint you as villain. How do you navigate them gently through transitional period when the kids just want the living situation to be what it was. What is the best way to approach it with them and how honest do you have to be?

Thank you for listening in to another episode of Honey You’re Ruining Our Kid. With the summer holidays fast approaching there are only a few more episodes before we break up till September. So please get your questions into [email protected]. 

Enjoy the show? Want more? Want to support its creation? Get bigger episodes and archive access in the space of a few click www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad