Mothers Matter

What is life like when you give up work to look after your children full time?  Lisa, Laura and Victoria all open up about why they chose to leave paid work, what they like about being able to care for their children full time, and what the challenges are.  They have all set up local groups for Mothers at Home Matter, in Ashford, Belfast and Sheffield.  They talk us through their daily routines and explain how they are able to afford to survive on one salary.  

Talking about suicide does not make it more likely that someone will end their life, it really shows that you care.  Rachel, a counsellor from  Papyrus,a UK charity for the prevention of young suicide, discusses with me what may lead someone to consider ending their life and how mothers or any concerned others can help prevent it happening. Counsellors such as Rachel are available on the Hopeline 0800 086 4141.  This is a safe podcast which doesn't include examples of individuals or methods and has been approved by Papyrus.  We do mention suicide frequently though.  Other charities mentioned are Cruse Bereavement Support,Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide, and the film After Shaun. LivingWorks is a charity which provides training in suicide intervention.  

What does 'normal' teenage behaviour look like? Erica Komisar, psychoanalyst, parent coach and author answers this and so many other questions. How can we maintain good mental health when our teenagers tell us we are useless?  Why are teenagers attracted to risky behaviour and what can parents do about it?  Do teenagers face more pressure today than in the past?  'Chicken Little, the Sky isn't Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety' is the title of Erica Komisar's new book, and the source of a whole podcast's worth of questions.  This podcast is for any parents of adolescents (which is recognised as 9-25).

What does 'success' look like for girls today?  How do we help our daughters cope with pressure, both from themselves and from society?  What is holding women back in the workplace?  Jo Wimble-Groves, author of the new book, Rise of the Girl, joins me to discuss how we can raise girls who thrive.  Jo runs her own business, is a founder of the organisation We are Girls in Sport, is a frequent speaker in school and is a mum of three.  She is an inspiration to girls and their mothers.  

Considering how your baby or child, and therefore you, can get more sleep often dominates a parent's waking, of which there are often many, hours.  Lyndsey Hookway, an expert in infant and child sleep, joins me to explore what a normal sleep pattern looks like for infants, strategies to help children sleep,  and how and why to try to stay calm in the middle of the night when your child has woken up AGAIN.  Lyndsey is the author of several books, including 'Let's talk about your new family's sleep' and 'Still awake'.  Her website is www.lyndseyhookway.com   Podcast production by James Ede of Be Heard. 

Finding time to invest in your marriage whilst raising small (or tall) children is a challenge.  Michaela Hyde, Director of the Marriage Foundation, and a wife, outlines her recipe for a healthy marriage while I throw out all the issues I find being married with children produces.  We also discuss how being married can help parents stay together, and the real statistics behind cohabiting and divorce.  

Being unable to have the number of children you'd hoped for is so sad but secondary infertility is hardly ever discussed openly. It is emotionally exhausting coping with the relentless nature of keeping on trying either naturally or through IVF or other methods.  My guest in this podcast and I have both experienced hoping for another child who never came along, along my guest is young enough to still have hope and I am old enough to know how the story ends.  This podcast unpacks the emotional rollercoaster (with mainly downs rather than ups) of trying for a sibling.  

Universal Credit (UC) is now the main way of accessing government support for mothers whose income is low or non-existent.  Patricia Exley, a Citizens Advice manager, runs through the type of support available through UC, how to apply for it, and what the work commitments may be for those on UC. We also cover everything else I can think of to ask about, including the Disability Living Allowance for children.  To calculate how much you could get please see Entitledto or Turn2Us.  For more info on claiming UC see Universal Credit service or call the DWP on 0800 328 5644.  For help in claiming UC see Citizens Advice The general advice line is 0800 144 8848 for any topic.   Thanks as always to James Ede of Be Heard for production of the podcast.

Attachment parenting is largely about meeting the needs of the child for love, security and closeness in the early days and beyond.  It has become possibly the mainstream parenting approach, or aspiration.  In this podcast Michelle McHale, Founder and Director of Attachment Parenting UK, outlines what it does and doesn't mean to adopt an attachment parenting style.  Positive discipline is an integral part of attachment parenting which led us to a discussion of what to do if your toddler is having a tantrum in a public place (and everyone is watching).  Thanks to my producer, James Ede of Be Heard productions.  

Three mothers join me to talk about what home means to them, what the role of mothers is in creating and maintaining the home, the essentials of a happy home and why the idea of homemaking is so undervalued in society.  You can follow Molly, Elain and Caz on Instagram on Mothering Through the Seasons (Molly), Five Kids Gallacher (Elain) and Dr Caz Leadership of Mums (Caz).  You hear more of Molly on her podcast Mended Teacups.