My First Five Years

“We’re all pretty good at adding additional jobs to our jobs list at Christmas and we really don’t need to.”

Discover top tips to help you through the festive season with your under-five and find out how to uncover the true magic of Christmas (spoiler alert, it doesn’t include a trip to Santa’s grotto). Hosted by early childhood experts Jennie Johnson MBE and Alistair Bryce-Clegg, you’ll hear how to make magical memories, how to handle the mental load over the festive season, whether there’s such a thing as too many presents and what to do about it, why children can find Christmas overwhelming and how to help them, and five easy hacks for a smooth and realistic Christmas. 

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

If you’d like to purchase My First Five Years Baby, the first in our new book series with Bloomsbury, head to mffy.com/book.

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“There’s a saying that it takes a village to bring a baby up, and it actually does.”

England Lioness and Everton footballer Toni Duggan joins My First Five Years co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson to talk about breaking boundaries for maternity leave in women’s football, morning sickness at work, the importance of having a support network, and the benefits of the women’s game that extend off the pitch. 

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“We've found through our own experience of six children between us that once you understand some of the science and research behind how children develop in the early years, it can really help you to relax and put some of the joy back into parenting.”

Join My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg as they look back on what they’ve learned from the past six months on the podcast, including travelling with children, learning to walk, managing the mental load and parenting in a sustainable way.

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“80% of people consuming parenting knowledge, trying to learn how to handle feelings, and learning about milestones, are mothers. And that takes an awful lot of time, energy and effort… It’s a really important part of the mental load that mothers are picking up.”

My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are joined by Zoe Blaskey, transformational coach and founder of Motherkind, to talk about the mental load – the often-invisible jobs that take up your time and energy, from remembering outfits for World Book Day to tracking milestones, from researching your child’s sleep to organising playdates. You’ll hear how to start sharing the load in a way that feels achievable and how to tackle it as a team, as well as five top tips to take away.

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“Resilience and creativity will be the most important things that will be required for the future.”

My First Five Years co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson are joined by Jimmy McLoughlin OBE of Jobs of the Future to discuss the skills that will support your child in the fast-changing world of work. You’ll hear how allowing your child to fail holds the key to success, which areas might be ones to watch, and how being a flexible parent can impact your child positively.

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“Leading by example is so massively important and I think that’s one of the biggest inspirations for children.” 

This Zero Waste week, My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are joined by Charlotte Howell-Jones from Parents for Future. You’ll hear how to inspire your child to enjoy nature and look after the planet in an age-appropriate way, easy, practical actions parents can take that can save money as well as the planet, and how to reassure your child if they suffer from climate anxiety.

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high-performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“Don’t assume that your parents (because they’re your parents and you love them) are on the same wavelength that you are.” 

Join My First Five Years app co-founder Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson to hear why grandparents are important in children’s development, how to have realistic expectations of your parents as grandparents, and what to do when you have a difference of opinion in child-rearing, as well as five ways grandparents enrich young children’s lives. 

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“It’s about recognising this is a transition for parents as well as children, so give as much thought to your strategies as your child’s.”  

Join My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg to hear how to approach your baby or child starting childcare, whether that’s with a childminder or at nursery. You’ll hear advice on how to choose a setting for your child, what you can do before they start that might help them to settle in well and what the best strategy for dropping your child off is, as well as five tips to ease them into this transition, to make it as smooth as possible for you both. 

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

"You don't have to pay loads of money and go on massive trips to make memories this summer."

With baby and toddler classes out for the summer, My First Five Years co-founders Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg talk about the pressures summer can bring (18 summers, anyone?), why you don’t need to go on big days out (but how to manage everyone’s expectations if you do!), the importance of boredom for children and how to add some magic to everyday experiences. You’ll also hear how to think about what you, as a parent, need this summer and five hacks to take the stress out of summer.

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.

“Becoming a parent provides us with this unique opportunity to really get to know ourselves.”

My First Five Years app co-founders Alistair Bryce-Clegg and Jennie Johnson are joined by Dr Emma Svanberg (the Mumologist), clinical psychologist and author of Parenting for Humans, to find out how to parent the child you have as the person you are. In this fascinating discussion, you’ll hear why parenting can bring up so many of our own emotions as parents, how to recognise your automatic stress response, ways to find calm in the moment, and why slowing down might be the best thing you can do as a parent.

For more information and tips on your child’s early years, download the My First Five Years app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-first-five-years/id1567551364

Jennie Johnson MBE founded the well-respected company Kids Allowed, best in class multi-award winning and top position on independent national league table for quality. Passionate about impact, high performing teams and having fun. Doing well by doing good.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg has had an incredibly successful career in early years, being a headteacher for ten years as well as establishing an internationally renowned consultancy. He is recognised as a leading voice in the sector, having done a TED talk and published 25 books.