In this episode I am joined by Gillian Brown, an alcohol free coach for Mums.

We discuss:

• Why Mums drink and the effect of alcohol on women.
• The Mummy wine culture and why it's damaging.
• Why go alcohol free (and not just limit it)?
• Where to start with going alcohol free.
• What Gillian would say to someone who wanted to go alcohol free but who was worried about taking that step.
• Tips & advice for living a alcohol free lifestyle.
• Gillian's words of encouragement.

You can find Gillian here: GB Coaching (@gillianbrowncoaching) • Instagram photos and videos

If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

What would you like to hear next? Email [email protected] and let me know. Similarly, if you'd like to be a guest or sponsor an episode, apply via the above email.

In this episode I am joined by Laura, the project lead on a research project at Lancaster University called Adopters Advocacy. Adopters advocacy looks at the experiences of adoptive parents and has highlighted different challenges that they may face.

Laura tells us about the project, how it started and what they've found so far.

Laura, who was adopted and is now an adoptive parent herself tells us about the challenges and struggles she's found as an adoptive parent. How it's lonely and how she wanted to see if other adopters were feeling the same. She wanted to bring adopters voices into the discussion.

She also tells us the ways in that parenting adoptive children can be difficult and how non adopters can be supportive.

Laura notes that it's not always a fairytale ending and this is why it's important to ask 'how are you'.

You can reach the Adopters Advocacy here:

Email: [email protected]

Website: Adopters Advocacy - Lancaster University

If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

| Thank you to Reading Fairy Lancaster for sponsoring this episode. |

What would you like to hear next? Email [email protected] and let me know. Similarly, if you'd like to be a guest or sponsor an episode, apply via the above email.

In this episode I am joined by a Mum of 2 who wishes to remain anonymous (so please respect this if you recognise her voice!).

We talk about:

• Judgement- the silent judgement of teens and also how children are judged.
• Her regret of not being settled with a mortgage and a career before having children and how she can't help but compare herself to other people in this respect. Would her children have been happier if she'd have had this?
• Smartphones
• Her break up with her husband/ her children's father and the possibility of this being a trigger for her child self harming.
• Self harm and how you navigate this as a parent.
• Homeschooling.
• Friendships.
• Mum guilt.
• How we're all winging it.

This Mum's biggest value is her children being happy, safe and loved.

She would love for all kids to be able to be kids and for parents to get chance to be the fun parent.

In this episode, we potentially coined a new term; 'Messy Parenting'. Listen to find out more!

If you enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to leave a review.

To find out more about The Non Perfect Parents Club visit our website The Non Perfect Parents Club - The Non Perfect Parents Club- Welcome

Thank you to Reading Fairy Lancaster for sponsoring this episode.

In this episode I am joined by Becky, a mum of 2 and a reception teacher.

We discuss tips and advice for parents who have a child starting Reception in September, and Becky answers some of your questions. This episode is jam packed full of advice and hopefully lots of reassurance for any parents who are apprehensive about the transition and the change that is coming.

We cover:

• What are the most helpful things that parents can be doing to prepare their child for the transition to reception.
• How parents can prepare for the change
• Uniform
• Things you can be doing to encourage skills that will be needed for reading and writing
• Play
• How a teacher would understand a non verbal child's way of communicating
• What else parents need to buy
• How to deal with the lack of information after getting so much from nursery
• What to do if your child is a fussy eater
• Friendships
• How we can help summer born children to settle in reception

The most important thing is to talk; to your child, and to their teacher/ the school staff.

Thank you to Reading Fairy Lancaster for sponsoring this episode.

Here is the playdough recipe that I use:

1 cup of water

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of salt

2x tbsp oil

2x tbsp cream of tartar (or 1 sachet)

Mix all ingredients in a pan and heat on a medium heat. Keep stirring. You will feel the mixture start to thicken, keep stirring until it sticks together and becomes playdough. Remove from pan, let cool and knead. wrap in cling film or put in an airtight container to store.

(If it's sticky, you've usually either not kept it on the heat for long enough or not added enough salt.)

In this episode, I am joined by Hannah from Stingrays 315 Swim School to talk about water safety.

The statistics say that only 1 in 3 adults can swim and that only 4% of 11 year olds are water competent. Hannah shares some of her knowledge as both a parent and a swimming teacher and explains why is it so important that we as adults respect the water and teach our children to too.

Hannah reminds us that children can still get into trouble even if they can swim. She notes that this doesn't just apply to smaller children, but teens too and it is crucial that our children know that to have fun in the water, they need to remember to be safe.

We discuss:

• Why it's important to look our for dangers, and to remember to do this.
• Swimwear colours
• What else we can do as parents to make sure our children are water competent,
• How easy it can be to encourage children to learn what to look out for when swimming in terms of being safe and dangers,
• How we can have conversations about water safety with our children without frightening them,
• The water safety code,
• Advice for parents of teens who go swimming on their own,
• Paddling pools & hot tubs,
• Secondary drowning,
• Advice for parents who are focused on their child's goals and achievements but their child doesn't have the same focus,
• Advice to parents who want their child to go to lessons but their child either doesn't want to go or doesn't enjoy their lessons.
• What Stingrays 315 Swim School have to offer

You can find Stingrays 315 Swim School here: Swimming Lessons Lancaster UK | Swimming Lessons UK (3-1-5.co.uk)

Thank you to Reading Fairy Lancaster for sponsoring this episode.

In this episode I am joined once again by Aimee from Get Secondary Ready.

(Listen to our first episode here: https://rss.com/podcasts/thenonperfectparentsclub/1340753/ )

Aimee, until recently, was an assistant head in a high school and found a gap on social media in information on the transition from primary school to secondary school. She has joined us again to share some of her knowledge based around the Summer term in Year 6, ready for the transition to Year 7 and to answer some of YOUR questions.

If you are a parent of a year 6 child, this is a must listen to episode!

We cover things like:

• How we can be preparing our children for the transition now that we're in the Summer term, emotionally and practically.
• What other secondary pupils found to be the biggest surprise and the biggest change transitioning to high school.
• Best Buys and Uniform tips.
• Communication with school.

We cover so much within these points and Aimee offers SO many practical tips that could potentially make a huge difference to your child's (and yours) transition to secondary school.

Find Aimee and Get Secondary Ready here:

Aimee Quinn (@getsecondaryready) • Instagram photos and videos

Top Tips for Parents and Tweens: Getting Ready for Secondary School | get secondary ready

Other episodes to listen to:

You control social media, not the other way around: https://rss.com/podcasts/thenonperfectparentsclub/989119/

Thank you to Ginny Koppenhol photography for sponsoring this episode, find her on Instagram here: Ginny Koppenhol - Photographer (@ginnykopp) • Instagram photos and videos

In this episode I am joined by Lucianne, the founder of FlyRide (a cabin size stroller rental service) and who has been cabin crew for 14 years. She is also a twin Mum.

Lucianne offers her top family travel tips; for on the plane, at the airport, packing and also some product recommendations. She tells us to travel light and go with realistic expectations. So grab a pen and paper and make some notes, especially if like me you're not a seasoned family traveller and it feels very daunting.

Lucianne also reassures us, as cabin crew, not to stress about a crying baby or unsettled children.

You can find Lucianne's page; Flyride here:

Facebook

Cabin Size Stroller Rental & Family Travel Tips | UK (@flyrideuk) • Instagram photos and videos

FlyRide Cabin Approved Stroller Rental, Accessories & Travel Advice

In this episode I am joined by MY DAD, Graham! He talks about his experience of being a dad and how life has changed since he was a child.

Dad tells us how he thinks life is backwards and how materialistic life seems to be now compared to when he was growing up. We talk about the impact the internet has had on society and how you can only give your children so much.

Dad offers his perspective on parenting as a parent of adult children and as a grandparent. He says you have to make the best out of your life that you can and give all the love to your children. He's always tried to look forward rather than back and has treated every mistake as a lesson not a failure- Which you might recognise as something that I also talking about doing. He highlights how big a responsibility being a parent is but that it's a privilege and you can't beat it.

And probably the most poignant moment of the whole episode, where I ask my dad how HE felt when my parents experienced their 3 miscarriages. He becomes emotional- something that I've never really seen before- and acknowledges that nobody ever asked HIM how he felt. He just had to put on a 'stiff upper lip' and bottle it up to protect and look after my Mum. But that you never forget.

Thank you to Churchill Tyres for sponsoring this episode.

In this episode in our new series, my guest (who wishes to remain anonymous) tells us her 'story' about a situation that her family found themselves in in 2017 when her son was just 3 months old.

My guest took her 3-month old son to the GP as he had a mark on his back that she'd not seen before. Medical professionals became concerned as it looked like a bruise, and a Section 47 Enquiry (Child protection assessment) was instigated.

The family underwent an incredibly challenging time, before it was discovered that baby actually had a birthmark. Congenital Dermal Melanocytosis (formerly called a Mongolian Blue Spot) is often mistaken for a bruise, leaving families vulnerable to accusations of harm.

My guest wants to raise awareness of this misdiagnosis, encourage parents to do their own research and ask questions when faced with difficult health or social care situations, and crucially, ask health professionals to always remain curious, non-judgemental and collaborative when working with families.

In this episode I am joined by Rachel, Mum of 2. This is a really powerful episode.

Rachel tells us she has been most judged by herself and that came from a fear of being judged by others. She kept such a tight control of things in order to not be judged. She notes the fear of being judged by others is enough to keep you trapped in your own self judgement.

Rachel talks alot about how she's changed since having children, how she's had to strip back layers of conditioning and how she's had to learn how to be herself- who she really is. She tells us how she's had to become more self aware and had to learn how to put her needs first, but in doing these this she's accepted herself and this is what's had the biggest impact on her children.

We also talk about:

• Boundaries
• Rachel's 12 year old's smartphone free childhood
• Parenting strong willed children
• Growing up with a mum with bi-polar
• The gap between schools and parents
• Homework & Toilet passes
• Dysregulated behaviour
• Role modelling and Mirroring
• Accepting we do things wrong as parents
• Transitional phases that we go through with our children

Rachel's biggest value is honesty and love.

She would most like to strip back the rules around parenting and childhood for us all and give us connection and community; Bring back the village! Rachel talks about how the village isn't always blood and can be found in people that you might not expect so don't be scared to create that.