Fear is a normal part of childhood. From monsters under the bed to spiders, needles and the dark, most children will experience fears as they grow. But when does a fear become a phobia? And what can parents do to help?

In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by leading Harley Street phobia expert and Face Your Fears author Christopher Paul Jones. Having overcome his own debilitating phobias, Christopher has spent more than 20 years helping people around the world—including Hollywood actors, musicians and celebrities—break free from fears that once controlled their lives.

Together, they explore why phobias develop, how parents can respond without reinforcing fear, and why Christopher believes many phobias can be overcome far more quickly than most people realise.

Whether your child is terrified of dogs, needles, vomiting or even going to school, this fascinating conversation is packed with practical advice that could help your whole family face fears with greater confidence.

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Show notes

Face Your Fears, 7 Steps to Conquering Phobias & Anxiety

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

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The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Every year in England, thousands of bright, capable kids sit down to take their GCSE English and maths exams — and fail. Not because they don't know the material. Not because they haven't worked hard. But because the exam itself only tests one narrow way of showing what you know.

My guest today has lived this. She watched her own dyslexic son work harder than anyone, understand the material, and still miss the pass mark — again and again — by the smallest of margins. And she watched what that did to him.

So she did something about it. She founded Fairer Exams, a parent-led campaign fighting for a fairer GCSE system — and she's since taken the message to the TEDx stage with a talk called Why exams need to change.

Today we're talking about dyslexia, dyscalculia, and why England is falling so far behind when it comes to fair assessment. We'll get into the terrifying stats — did you know as many as one in three young people are effectively locked out of opportunity because of this one narrow form of testing? And we'll talk about a route that exists right now, hiding in plain sight, that almost nobody knows about — one that could change the trajectory for thousands of kids, if only more parents knew it was there.

This is a conversation for every parent — not just those with a child who has additional needs — because this system touches every single family sending a child through school.

My guest today is Hannah Gee, founder of Fairer Exams. What a pleasure it was.

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Show notes

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Why do so many women reach their 30s and 40s feeling more critical of their bodies than ever before?

In this honest and thought-provoking episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with eating disorder specialist and author Elle Mace to explore the complex relationship women have with food, body image and self-worth.

From the pressures of social media and the rise of weight-loss injections to perimenopause, ageing and the unrealistic expectations placed on women, this conversation unpacks why so many of us still feel we're never quite enough—and, more importantly, how we can begin to change that.

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Show notes

Parental Control, Ep 134: Why Are Children Worrying About Their Bodies So Young?

Instagram: @iamellemace

Food Freedom is available from 27th August at £14.99 via major retailers including Penguin, Amazon and Waterstones.

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

What is it like to dedicate your career to finding a cure for one of the deadliest childhood cancers?

In this deeply personal episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with Dr Ashley Vardon, an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, whose pioneering research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is being part-funded by Billy's Battalion.

Together, they explore what life is like on "the other side of the room"—the side where doctors and researchers must deliver devastating diagnoses while working tirelessly to change the future. From the latest breakthroughs in childhood brain cancer research to the hope emerging from global scientific collaboration, this is an honest conversation about grief, determination and why every research project matters.

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Show notes

Billy's Battalion JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/billysbattalionofficial

More on Dr Ashley Vardon x Billy Battalion Research Project

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

If you've ever found yourself shouting over something small, only to be overwhelmed with guilt moments later, you're far from alone.

In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by award-winning journalist and author Lauren Novak to explore one of motherhood's least talked about realities: mum rage.

Lauren has spent more than two decades reporting on family life, child safety and social issues, and after becoming a mother herself during the Covid-19 pandemic, she turned her attention to the hidden pressures facing modern mums. In her book Meltdown, she explores what really sits beneath the anger, from the relentless mental load and sleep deprivation to hormones, guilt and the impossible expectations placed on mothers today.

Together, Ellie and Lauren discuss why so many mums feel they're constantly on the edge, why maternal anger is still surrounded by shame, and what parents can do to recognise the warning signs before they reach breaking point.

If you've ever wondered, "Why am I so angry all the time?" this honest and reassuring conversation is for you.

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Show notes

• Mum Rage Survey
• Buy the book Meltdown, by Laura Novak
• Instagram @lauranovakwrites

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Becoming parents changes everything, including your relationship. In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by relationship and sex therapist Georgina Vass to discuss what really happens to intimacy, communication and connection after children.

Why do so many couples end up feeling more like colleagues than lovers? Is it normal for sex to disappear after kids? How much conflict comes down to the mental load? And how do you know the difference between a rough patch and a relationship that's genuinely in trouble?

Together, they explore the biggest communication mistakes couples make, the impact of social media on modern relationships, and why many women feel unprepared for the effect motherhood can have on sexual wellbeing.

An honest, insightful and reassuring conversation for anyone navigating love, sex and family life.

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Show notes

• Website: georginavass.com
• Instagram: georginavasstherapist

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Body image worries are starting younger. Diet culture may have changed its clothes, but it certainly hasn't gone away — it's simply rebranded as wellness, self-improvement and "health optimisation," all while our children scroll through TikTok, influencers and impossible appearance standards in real time.

In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by Elle Mace, eating disorder expert, coach, author of the upcoming book Food Freedom, and someone whose own struggles with body image and disordered eating began at just 10 years old.

Together, they explore the early warning signs parents may miss, how to tell the difference between normal food fussiness and something more concerning, the everyday language around food and bodies that can accidentally cause harm, and what today's obsession with wellness, weight-loss drugs, and appearance culture is doing to young minds.

A thoughtful, honest and hugely important conversation for any parent raising children in a world obsessed with bodies.

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Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram

Show notes

Instagram: @iamellemace

Food Freedom is available from 27th August at £14.99 via major retailers including Penguin, Amazon and Waterstones.

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Starting secondary school is one of the biggest milestones in childhood, and, if we're honest, often one of the most emotionally charged for parents, too.

From agonising over school choices and friendship groups to worrying about long commutes, organisation, bullying, overwhelm and whether your child is actually ready for such a huge leap, the move to Year 7 can feel daunting for the whole family.

In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined once again by education expert Katharine Radice to discuss how parents can support children through the transition to secondary school with confidence.

Together, they explore how to choose the right school without becoming consumed by league tables and pressure, why the "best" school isn't always the best fit, how to build independence before September, what to expect emotionally in those early weeks and how transitions can feel different for children with ADHD, autism, anxiety or additional needs.

A practical, reassuring listen for any parent preparing to wave goodbye at the Year 7 gates.

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Show notes

The Parent's Guide to Exam Stress is a new release and available via all usual booksellers. Website: katharineradice.co.uk

To join Katharine's mailing list for a fortnightly conversation piece about supporting children through school, it's https://katharineradice.co.uk/join-in.

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Exam season can bring stress to the entire household. From slammed bedroom doors and sleepless nights to younger children already feeling the pressure of assessment before secondary school is even on the horizon.

In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by education expert Katharine Radice, author of The Parent's Guide to Exam Stress, to unpack what exam pressure is really doing to our children, and to us as parents.

Are SATs putting too much pressure on children far too young? How do anxiety, ADHD, autism and perfectionism change the way exam stress shows up? And how can parents support revision without becoming the household drill sergeant?

With more than 20 years in education, Katharine shares practical, reassuring advice on spotting the signs a child is struggling, managing expectations, navigating post-exam meltdowns, and helping children build resilience without tying their self-worth to academic performance.

Email us at [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram

Show notes

The Parent's Guide to Exam Stress is a new release and available via all usual booksellers. Website: katharineradice.co.uk

To join Katharine's mailing list for a fortnightly conversation piece about supporting children through school, it's https://katharineradice.co.uk/join-in.

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Andy Day is one of the UK's most recognisable faces in children's television, best known for sparking curiosity through his hugely popular Andy's Adventures series. But beyond the dinosaurs, safari trips and underwater explorations, Andy is also a musician, author, performer and all-round creative force.

On this episode of the My Baba Podcast, Ellie chats to Andy about life beyond the screen — from favourite films and bands to his real-life pop band Andy and the Odd Socks, writing bestselling children's books, and the brand new adventures currently in the works. If your family loves Andy, or you're simply curious about the man behind the khakis, this is a joyful listen.

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Show notes

Dino Racers: The Jungle Cup and The Lava Cup, by Andy Day. Illustrated by Alex Patrick. Availble from 18th June.

Instagram: @andyday81

What is My Baba?

My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

Visit mybaba.com

The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/