Did you know 1 in 3 children have little or no confidence?

Did you know girls are more likely to downplay their confidence?

And did you know that children from non-white and minority ethnic groups are likely to have less confidence than their white male friends?

Today I speak to Kathryn McColl, co-founder of Hark, the education agency that delivers programmes to over 90% of UK schools. Hark recently published their Listen Up report, which collected anonymous data from 1,400 children across the UK to better understand what they call the ‘confidence crisis.’

I drill down into some of their jaw-dropping insights, including the above, as we discuss why confidence appears to be on the decline among young people.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Connect with Kathryn:

More about Hark - https://harklondon.com/ 

Get the Listen Up Report - https://harklondon.com/listen-up/ 

Connect on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-mccoll-5a918329/ 

Highlights from this episode:

02:32 - What is Hark?

05:43 - Confidence means opportunity

11:08 - The impact of role models

15:11 - Transitioning from primary to secondary school

21:46 - Friction teaches confidence

27:09 - Post exam stress

29:37 - Girls hide their confidence

33:37 - The confidence ladder

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From gentle parenting to FAFO, social media bombards us with content about the latest trends, so how do you really know what works and what doesn’t?

In today’s bucket emptying episode, I talk you through some of the biggest parenting trends, and explain how they can be impacting you, and the ways in which you might then choose to parent your own kids.

Because parenting is all-consuming. It’s a 24/7/365 gig, and the trends of day, whether we subscribe to them or not, can feel like they define us as parents. I’m here to tell you they don’t!

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

00:48 - FAFO Parenting

03:30 - Are we defined by the trends?

06:23 - Labels take away the overwhelm

09:56 - There’s no one size fits all approach

12:35 - Parental intuition

15:22 - Science vs media

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mental health is not just a buzz word, and oftentimes it goes hand in hand with physical health. But because we can’t see mental health, as parents it can be so easy to procrastinate these important conversations that provide a safe, supportive space for our children to really get honest with us.

Whether you’re listening to this during Children’s Mental Health week or at any other time of the year, these practical tips will really help you to kickstart conversations about mental health with your family.

It might not be easy, and it might take some time, but I promise you if you persevere and remain patient, your kids will eventually feel comfortable enough to talk to you.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Mentioned in this episode:

Children’s Mental Health Week: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/ 

Highlights from this episode:

01:15 - Physical health IS mental health

03:41 - I’ve noticed that…

07:17 - How are you feeling?

10:30 - Use books

15:09 - Teachable moments

16:38 - Talk out loud

18:46 - 3 things to consider

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A sense of belonging is a basic human need. Without it can lead to loneliness, depression and many other mental and physical health issues.

So to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week, the theme of which this year is ‘this is my place’, I am going to give you five tips to help your children build their sense of belonging, because the world is a better place with them in it, and it’s our job as parents to help them believe that.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Mentioned in this episode:

Children’s Mental Health Week: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/ 

Attachment Theory: https://drmaryhan.com/episode/attachment-theory/ 

Highlights from this episode:

00:28 - Children’s Mental Health Week

02:21 - Attachment theory

05:48 - Emotional availability

09:27 - Help them to explore

11:58 - Don’t diminish their interests

14:05 - Belonging starts at home

16:32 - You are important

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the 8 Plus to A-Levels, exams can be a stressful experience… often as much for you, the parent, as the kids.

You want the best for them, and of course you want them to do well, but it’s important to make sure we create a supportive environment, and not inadvertently add to the pressure.

That’s why, in this important episode, I’m going to talk you through the dos and do nots of navigating exam season, and give you a bunch of super practical advice, which you can use right away.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

01:26 - It comes down to two things

03:17 - Stay in your own lane

07:29 - How to overcome self-sabotage

12:29 - Supercharge your revision

17:12 - Talk to your children

21:15 - A balanced routine includes time for fun

24:23 - Rest and restore

27:17 - Support ought to be directed by the child, not us

30:37 - What not to do

35:28 - Trust their process!

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bucket emptying episode, I look a bit closer at my conversation with Professor Sam Wass, who you may recognise from such TV shows as The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds. He is is currently Director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years at the University of East London.

In last week’s interview he spoke to us at length about his research, but in today’s episode I want to drill down just a little more into some of his comments on emotional coregulation, and I’m going to share my own thoughts and some useful tips which you can put into action right away.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

More about Sam and his work:

Website: https://www.profsamwass.com/ 

Useful research: https://www.profsamwass.com/tweet-threads/ 

Institute for the Science & Early Years of Youth: https://www.isey.org/ct-for-ey-and-schools 

Highlights from this episode:

01:25 - Sam Wass on emotional coregulation

07:00 - Stress contagion

11:17 - Matching our children’s state

14:24 - Meet them where they’re at

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does your child ever get worked up, and you find it escalates super fast but feel powerless to bring them down from that ledge?

Every parent has been there, but it’s only in recent years that we have really begun to understand the reasons why, and it’s all about neuroscience.

Children’s brains are changing and developing all the time, which means as parents it can be so difficult to keep up, and know how to support them with things like emotional regulation, so I want to talk though some of these challenges and give you some practical advice that I hope will help you and your family.

To have this conversation I am joined by Professor Sam Wass, who you may recognise from such TV shows as The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds. He is is currently Director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years at the University of East London, and shares some of his expertise, to help us all understand some of the science behind emotional regulation.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

More about Sam and his work:

Website: https://www.profsamwass.com/ 

Useful research: https://www.profsamwass.com/tweet-threads/ 

Institute for the Science & Early Years of Youth: https://www.isey.org/ct-for-ey-and-schools 

Highlights from this episode:

04:10 - Measuring brain stem activity

08:08 - Nature versus nurture

13:18 - Panic disorders

17:20 - Long term effects of children in high stress states

21:23 - Brain stem arousal is trending up

25:29 - You’re only still when you’re dead

31:25 - Children hate broccoli because of science

35:18 - We’re going on a bear hunt

42:33 - Quadrants

48:00 - Mums and dads play differently

53:29 - Co-regulating

59:14 - Stress contagion

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I can’t do it!” - as parents we hear this all the time.

Our children are learning new skills and experiencing new things every day, which means they are always facing things they’ve never done before. This can be scary, and often our kids might think they can’t do it or they’re not good enough.

That’s why building resilience is so important. It gives them the foundation they need to persevere, to fail without fear, and to find that inner strength when things feel tough or challenging.

In today’s bucket emptying I’m going to share five things you can do to create that shift, and help to build that resilience. And the best part: these are things you can start doing right now.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

01:49 - Non-friction

06:23 - Modelling resilience

08:19 - Curated friction

10:20 - Boredom please

12:44 - Conflict is friction

14:16 - Don’t rush in to fix setbacks

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why won’t my kids go to sleep at their bed time?

It doesn’t matter if your child is 2 or 20, every parent in the world will ask themselves this question, because sometimes, even if we stick to the routine, they just won’t settle down and get in bed.

In this episode I continue our discussion around sleep, sharing some of the ways in which overtiredness can impact our kids and what you can do about it. Plus, I explain how things like puberty, technology and other factors have a bigger impact than you might realise.

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

01:37 - Blankets and putty

03:50 - Chronic sleep deprivation

09:10 - Puberty and hormones

12:27 - The emotional tank

18:06 - Sibling dynamics and room sharing

22:25 - Over scheduling

26:02 - How to tackle overtiredness 

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New year is my favourite time of year.

It’s a chance for us to turn a blank page and make conscious changes in our lives. Maybe you want to improve your health, or perhaps you have certain career goals, or maybe you just want to save for that dream family holiday.

Whatever it is you set out to do this year, it all comes down to one thing: habits.

Saving money is a habit.

Eating better is a habit.

Exercising more is a habit.

Making time for yourself and your family… you guessed it, is a habit!

So in this episode, I’m going to talk through how you can create positive new habits for yourself through stacking. By following this method, you can create super meaningful changes in your life by stacking small, easy new habits.

The combined results over time can be life-changing!

So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation…

Highlights from this episode:

00:58 - New year, atomic habits

02:16 - Focus on the system not the goal

04:34 - The two types of results

06:24 - The habit that works all of the time

09:02 - Little steps for a big change

10:34 - A profound reminder

💚 Please share with at least one friend, and let’s build our village together

💚  For all previous episodes, and to submit episode topics you want me to talk about, visit https://drmaryhan.com/podcast/ 

💚  For the free resource library, visit https://drmaryhan.com/library 

💚 Join our campaign One Million Moments to reduce the number of children struggling with mental health challenges from 17% to 10% by 2025

💚 Brands and advertisers, email [email protected] 

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.