Parentland

Expert advice about teaching your kids at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Mercy and Linda discuss practical ways to juggle work, educate your children, and avoid parental burnout with two experts: Dr Amelia Roberts, deputy director of University College London’s Centre for Inclusive Education in the UK, and Dr Maria Elena Brianda from University of Louvain in Belgium.

How do you keep your family healthy and happy in the coronavirus lockdown? Mercy and Linda put your questions – from giving birth in a pandemic to how to explain Covid-19 to kids - to two experts: Dr Pia Rebello Britto, UNICEF’s Chief of Early Childhood Development, and Dr Steve Wall, Senior Director of Newborn Health at Save the Children.

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“I’m pregnant!” A special episode with the Bollywood actor and the presenter of the My Indian Life podcast, Kalki Koechlin. Attitudes to unmarried mothers, the feeling that “I don't belong to myself”, caesarean births - Kalki has lots of questions.

It’s the final episode of the first season, so Mercy and Linda are trying to answer as many of your questions as possible. How do you deal with sleepwalking? Maria, who lives in Portugal, wants to know how to stop her middle child from telling lies. And Ralf Henkel, from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, weighs in on male fertility and how to prepare for conceiving.

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'Never feel guilty for taking time for you.' How do you care for yourself while you’re also caring for kids? Mercy and Linda talk to Moira Mikolajczak, an expert in parental burnout, about how taking a break for self-care is really important. And the team visit Sweaty Mama, in the north of England, where mums can meet up, exercise and improve their mental health.

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'I don’t want to raise cyborgs.' When it comes to screen time, how much is too much? And is there such a thing as 'good' screen time? Mercy and Linda are joined by Sonia Livingstone, a professor of social psychology who studies internet use in childhood, and Parentland takes to the streets of London to ask teenagers what they think about their use of technology.

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'I hate homework' might be a common phrase in your house – but does it actually serve a purpose? And how much is too much? This episode is all about education, and our Parentlanders are asking whether there’s a right age for your child to start school. Joining the team to help tackle these questions are Professor Dominic Wyse and Professor David Whitebread. Plus, get advice on what to do if your child is struggling to read and write.

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'Conflict is inevitable – violence is not.' How do you make sure your kids have healthy disagreements, rather than fighting or bullying? Expert advice from author and educator Barbara Coloroso on managing sibling rivalry in this special episode.

If you haven’t already, listen to the previous episode, Sibling Rivalry, to hear from our Parentlanders.

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'You’re my best friend - I hate you.' Sometimes siblings can go from laughing to fighting in seconds – but how do you deal with it? The Parentland team hear how you can encourage your children to get along with each other, and learn how environment and culture may play a part in whether one child is favoured over another. Featuring Laurie Kramer, a professor of psychology and clinical psychologist who specialises in sibling relationships.

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Toddler tantrums and learning languages: they’re the issues Parentlanders can’t stop talking about, so we’re dedicating another episode to answering more questions. With Dr Nandini Singh Chatterjee, a cognitive neuroscientist who studies language recognition in children.

Please note it is no longer possible to contact this programme by email.