What do Parents Know?

In this episode, I'm joined by Vanessa McFarlane, founder of Mariposa Education, where we discuss how young people are exposed to a sexualised world younger than ever. We talk about the role schools have to play, but also how they often find themselves against parents that want to shelter their children from sex education. We also discuss how boys and men need to be part of the solution and not always singled out as being the problem when it comes to sexual behaviour, especially in schools. 

Management Consultant and Keynote Speaker, Toni McLelland joins me as she talks about her experience working in environments where difficult conversations need to be had. She also discusses how she navigated parenting and why building open channels of communication with our children is so important. We talk about parents being role models, why family meetings are important, how parents can listen without judgement and also Toni's experience, as a Christian, learning that her son was going to convert to Islam. 

Worrying about money is something that affects so many teenagers and their parents. Join me as I speak to Maddy Alexander-Grout, founder of Mad About Money, about her experience as a spending addict and her recovery. We talk about why managing money is so important and the role parents need to play in supporting their teenagers in making sensible financial decisions. 

What is mindful eating? Join me as I talk to Nav Birdi, a dietician and founder of Nutrition by Nav, as we discuss what mindful eating is and how it can benefit teenagers. We discuss being in control of what we eat, ensuring diets are balanced and how to manage situations such as diabetes and obesity. 

Suzanne Alderson, founder of Parenting Mental Health, joins me as we talk about the struggles parents go through when they have a child with mental health issues. We discuss how lost parents can feel, how ashamed they might be and how alone they can be. When her own daughter was suffering from a mental health crisis, Suzanne set up Parenting Mental Health so that parents were not alone; the charity now supports over 30,000 parents around the world and gives them a safe space to communicate. 

A lot of people suffer from anxiety at different points in their lives. This can affect teenagers, but it can affect parents as well. I'm joined by Dr Rina Bajaj, counselling psychologist, as she discusses the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression. We discuss the impact that either can have on an individual and why parents need to be on top of their own mental health before they can support their teenagers. We also discuss simple techniques that parents might be able to use to help manage their anxiety. 

Many religious homes function perfectly well. But, what happens when your teenager decides they don't want to be part of the religion or that they don't want to follow the rules you follow? I am joined by Rabbi Alex Goldberg, Dean of Religious Life and Belief the University of Surrey, a world renowned speaker on inter-faith matters, and a former Human Rights barrister, as we discuss the topic of religion in the home. We discuss what parents can do to create a harmonious and peaceful religious home where their teenagers are respectful and understanding and we discuss what parents can do if their teenagers decide it isn't for them. 

OCD is something that is commonly misunderstood, especially amongst teenagers. People that don't understand OCD find it odd and strange that somebody would need to repeat things or do things in a certain way, but those that have OCD know how debilitating it can be. Join me as I talk to Julie Derrick, Founder of Mind Monsters, parent of an OCD teenager and OCD author and expert, about what OCD is, the different types of OCD that exist and what parents can do to support their teenager through it. 

Clare Steedman and Rachael Alder-Byrne, founders and clinical directors at TEDS, join me to discuss eating disorders and the different types that exist. Whilst most people would be familiar with anorexia and bulimia, less would know the signs of Pica and OFSED. We discuss the different eating disorders and what parents can do to understand them better, including the links between eating disorders and mental health issues. 

Lisa Vine, an LGBTQ+ advocate and consultant, joins me as we talk about the sensitive issue of coming out and how teenagers in the LGBTQ+ community still have challenges when coming out to their parents. We talk about cultural and societal issues that makes this difficult and how parents can provide a more inclusive and supportive environment for their LGBTQ+ teenager.