15-Minute Parenting.

15 Minute-Parenting: Blending your blended family

Fri, 06 May 2022 08:00:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna answers the most common questions that arise when someone is living within a blended family unit. She covers everything from minding yourself, each other, the kids, the ex and the in-laws with practical clear advice

15 Minute-Parenting: Eco-Anxiety

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna responds to a listeners question about how to better understand their child's feelings about climate change. She explains what Eco-Anxiety is and why we have to approach the scary reality of climate change through the lens of hope rather than fear

15 Minute-Parenting: Understanding the trauma of war

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 10:37:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks us through the impact of the trauma on war on those who are arriving into our Country. It can be hard to understand why our offers of help may not be received in the way we hoped they would or to understand the perspective of someone who is fleeing their Country in fear of their safety. Joanna talks us though the invisible scars of war.

15-Minute Parenting: Focus on self-esteem in boys

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 10:37:04 +0100

Joanna speaks a lot about self-esteem and our young people but also parental-esteem. We know that self-esteem is something all children, regardless of gender, struggle with but now we have some deeper insights into our boys challenges with self-esteem. This episode explores boys struggles with self-esteem

15-Minute Parenting: Affection - it’s not all hugs and kisses

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode Joanna is referring to a question posed to her by a parent concerned that their child withholds affection as they do not like hugs. Joanna explores how affection can be shared and shown in a multitude of ways and why it is important to respect our children's preferences in this regard as a way of modelling respect for body boundaries and consent. Joanna includes some playful ways to do this

15 Minute-Parenting: Relational Aggression in young children

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000

What do you do when your child tells you that their friend in school said they can't be friends anymore or if your child declares that someone is not allowed to be their friend anymore? In this episode Joanna breaks down what is relational aggression even in very young children and how we should respond to this in these early years as it will shape how this relational aggression plays out in their older years too

15-Minute Parenting: What’s in a name?

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Joanna is answering a question from a listener who is in a stand-off with their partner over what they should name their baby. Joanna explores how our names form part of our identities and how the story of our name, and the story of how our name was chosen for us, shapes (in part) the stories we live by. What's in a name? Quite a lot!

15-Minute Parenting: The Imperfection of Perfectionism

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Are you raising a perfectionist child? Were you a perfectionist child? Perhaps you are a perfectionist parent or you were raised by one? If any or all of these ring a bell for you then this episode will help you to explore where these perfectionistic tendencies come from, the impact perfectionism has on our lives and what we can do to change this

15 Minute-Parenting: Making sense of our senses part 2

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000

This is the second part of our sensory discussion and this week Joanna is speaking about the lesser discussed senses of proprioception, Vestibular and Introception and offering playful ways to upward and downward regulate within each of these

15-Minute Parenting: Making Sense of our senses part 1

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 13:42:03 +0000

In this episode Joanna talks us through 5 of our senses, the ones that we will all be most familiar with Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, Hearing and will include some practical ways to use each sense to either calm or arouse ourselves/our children

15-Minute Parenting: How to be your child’s influencer

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 09:00:00 +0000

This week Joanna is talking about how we parents can be our children's influencer in a sea of social media influencers. This involves that all too fine a line between being interested in what interests our children versus being intrusive and being open to receive and respond to any questions and curiosity they might have

15-Minute Parenting: Talking with your children about difficult news events

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 10:23:01 +0000

Joanna responds to recent tragic news events with some practical suggestions and guidance as to how we can find the words and means to explain difficult news stories to our children and how to support them (and ourselves) through it.

15 Minute-Parenting: The incompatibility of solo play and young children

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Joanna responds to a parents question about how much time their 1-year-old should be able to play alone by talking us through the phases of play in those very early years...this is one of those times a parental want (that our children play alone) clashes with our children's need (to check in with us)

15-Minute Parenting: Sharing is caring...or is it??

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Joanna responds to a number of questions she has received about how best to encourage our children to share and why does it matter? She emphasises that fine line between encouraging sharing but never forcing it and talks us through why this matters

15-Minute Parenting: Responding to body exploration/self-touch in toddlers

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Joanna tables the touchy subject of self-touch in young children. She talks us through how body curiosity in children is both normal and healthy and how we might best respond to such behaviour in our children in a non-shaming way

15-Minute Parenting: A Christmas Tale

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:30:51 +0000

Joanna takes 2 questions from parents to explore creative ways to slow down or structure the Christmas hype for children and also how to manage those endless Santa lists

15-Minute Parenting: The Teenage Years

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Joanna is taking a short break from recording so this episode is an excerpt from her 15-Minute Parenting series of books. Today's excerpt is from her Teenager Years book and Joanna is reading to us about the transition into adulthood and being the adult child of aged parents. She also reads from some letters from parents on the advice they would give to their teenage selves and she invites you to bring to mind what advice you would whisper into the ear of your teenage self as you listen

15- Minute Parenting: 8-12 Years

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Joanna is taking a short break from recording so this episode is an excerpt from her 15-Minute Parenting series of books. Today's excerpt is from her 8-12 years book and Joanna is reading to us about homework and how to creatively and playfully support our children's learning

15-Minute Parenting: 0-7 Years

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 09:25:02 +0000

Joanna is taking a short break from recording so this episode is an excerpt from her 15-Minute Parenting series of books. Today's excerpt is from her 0-7 years book and Joanna is reading to us about building our children's capacity for independence through chores and pocket money and of course, play

15 Minute-Parenting: The joy of a joyful mindset

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Joanna talks about why joy and the experience of shared joy isn't just a nice experience but is an essential one as we grow and develop throughout our lives. She distinguishes between happiness and joy and helps us to understand why we must invest in joy and gives us suggestions of ways to find joy in the everyday stuff

15 Minute-Parenting: How to manage the distress of a distressed child

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0100

In today's episode Joanna talks to us about how to reflect on what is getting triggered in us by our children's emotional expressions. She gives us some reflective exercises that shine a light on how we were responded to versus how we wish we had been responded to and how to invest in our self-regulation so that we can co-regulate our children

15 Minute-Parenting: Nightmares versus Night Terrors

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0100

In answering a listener's question about how to respond to their child's nightmares, Joanna helps us to distinguish between a nightmare and a night terror and offers suggestions of practical ways to respond to both

15 Minute-Parenting: ”What if I‘m not even a good enough parent?”

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0100

Joanna responds to a listener who doesn't feel she is even a good enough parent. Joanna highlights effort over outcome, empathy over sympathy and practical ways to invest in our own parental-esteem

15 Minute-Parenting: Stealing in middle childhood

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0100

Joanna responds to a parents distress at having discovered her 11 year old has been stealing. She helps us to reflect on what may be underpinning behaviour like this and the importance of responding rather than reacting to this behaviour

15-Minute Parenting: Parenting on very different pages

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0100

Joanna responds to a listener's question about the frustration and relational impact of parenting when not on the same page. She highlights the importance of knowing your parental "preferences" from parenting essentials and offers a structure for making those uncomfortable parenting discussions more comfortable.

15-Minute Parenting: Autumnal Play

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks about changing our play content in line with the seasons and specifically how to play with the changing colours and textures of Autumn and how to find playful ways to bring the outdoors indoors, especially as the evenings are getting darker earlier

15-Minute Parenting: School refusal

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 14:28:06 +0100

We may be only a few weeks back to school but this discussion on what school refusal really is, what it may be about and how to respond to your child if they are experiencing school refusal will resonate with many of you.

15-Minute Parenting: Changing the stories we live by

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0100

Joanna talks us through the importance of developing an intergenerational self, for ourselves but also for our children. She talks about how, in our storied world, our storied lives start in the generations that came before us and while they play out in our lives today we can start to author new life chapters to change the stories we live by

15-Minute Parenting: Play while waiting and the hands-free play while driving

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:44:44 +0100

Following on from last week's episode Joanna shares a variety of fun activities we can use while we are sitting waiting, be that in a queue or a waiting room. She tells us how to compile a simple but effective on-the-go play-kit and how to adapt this play while driving a car or stuck in traffic

15-Minute Parenting: The Activity Episode

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:13:44 +0100

In this episode Joanna shares a variety of fun family activities we can start playing with our 0-7 year olds, 8-12 year olds and teenagers. If you feel you need to flex your play muscles and inject some more playfulness into your relationships, this episode is for you

15-Minute Parenting: Make room for a little one

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 14:23:11 +0100

In this episode Joanna responds to questions from parents about how to handle their toddlers' behaviour in the lead up to a new baby coming home. Joanna takes us into the mind of the toddler so that we can empathically feel how they experience this huge change in their young lives and gives us practical tips and tools to ease the transition for all

15-Minute Parenting: Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's Back-to-school we go

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 15:58:18 +0100

Joanna gives us practical tips and tools for getting back to school ready with an emphasis on preparing our younger children for big school in a mask wearing environment. Joanna also mentions how our teens still need our support as they (re)adjust back into the school environment.

15-Minute Parenting: When behavioural Progression collides with Regression

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 14:13:57 +0100

What do you do when your capable child takes a step backwards behaviourally? What about when your "big child" starts behaving like a "little child" again? Joanna responds to listeners questions about behavioural regression in children and how this regression typically goes hand-in-hand with progression

15-Minute Parenting: Social Anxiety

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 17:01:41 +0100

As our societies (re)open Joanna responds to rising queries from parents about social anxiety in their children. What do we do when social engagement has become the source for anxiety? Joanna talks us through practical ways to soothe the socially anxious child

15-Minute Parenting: The Brain science behind your family holiday

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 16:38:54 +0100

What is a family holiday all about for you? Did you know that the change of environment, increased time together as afamily can support your child's brain development? Joanna talks us through how to structure our family holidays to ensure that play, flexibility and fun are at the centre of our holidays this summer

15-Minute Parenting: The not-so-social side to social media

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:02:00 +0100

Joanna answers a listeners question about their 11 year olds behaviour on social media by giving us insight as to why it is so hard for this age group to self-regulate on these platforms and providing us with some practical tips to gradually introduce social media to our children in a more structured and supportive way when that time is right.

15-Minute Parenting: "Everybody is looking at me" - the ego-centrism of pre-adolescence

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 11:48:38 +0100

Joanna helps us to better understand the healthy (albeit challenging) role that ego-centrism plays in our pre-adolescents behaviour and how we can reflect and respond to these behaviour patterns rather than getting pulled into the dynamic in a reactive way.

15-Minute Parenting: The self-holding child

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 13:28:00 +0100

Joanna answers a question from a listener that came in after last weeks episode on sensitive children to help us think about the "self-holding" child, that is the child who finds it difficult to share their emotional experiences with others and tends to hold onto them in an attempt to work it out on their own rather than reaching out to others for help with it.

15-Minute Parenting: Parenting the Sensitive Child

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 15:21:11 +0100

Joanna explains what it is like to feel the world in such a deep way and how emotional sensitivity can amplify our emotional states. She provides us with practical ways to parent our emotionally sensitive children in an attuned way that values sensitivity for the emotional super-power it can be.

15-Minute Parenting: Is Self-Esteem at crisis point?

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 22:13:41 +0100

Joanna talks about self-esteem in our children and teenagers and how we can practically parent with esteem. She draws on research conducted by the Dove Self esteem Project in Ireland as she highlights where we are with self-esteem and how we can practically address the issue as a matter of priority

15-Minute Parenting: The problem with problem solving

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 12:59:02 +0100

Following on from a past episode where Joanna advised how to avoid jumping in with a fix/change agenda today she responds to a question from a listener who asked how we ensure our children have practical problem solving skills to work such situations out. She addresses this through a 6-step problem solving formula that you can put into practice at home.

15-Minute Parenting: Teen Aggression/Violence

Fri, 28 May 2021 13:07:49 +0100

This week Joanna responds to your questions and comments on the topic of teen aggression and addresses the question of how the recent pandemic circumstances have contributed to a rise in aggressive behaviour or not. Joanna explains the difference between ager, conflict, aggression and violence and what to do when a situation is out of control along with playful ways to work with more mild levels of anger.

15-Minute Parenting: Emotional Connection is the best predictor for learning outcomes

Fri, 21 May 2021 12:49:04 +0100

Joanna reflects on the findings of recent research that highlights the role of emotional connections between teachers and students to enhance learning outcomes. She talks us through how emotion is not the opposite to reasoning but is actually essential to reasoning. She raises the question as to how we can better support our teachers to support our children and offers playful activities that can be done at home and in the classroom.

15-Minute Parenting: Breaking the news of a break-up

Fri, 14 May 2021 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna responds to a question from a parent who is wondering how to tell their children that their parents are separating. She talks us through the ideal approach and how to handle the less than ideal reality by staying grounded in what we will always have in common, our shared love for our children.

15-Minute Parenting: Making and keeping friends in the Teenage Years

Fri, 07 May 2021 14:53:10 +0100

Friendships are very important in adolescence. In this episode Joanna talks us through how the patterns of friendship change during adolescence and the role of ego in that. She spotlights a situation of a teenager who struggles to make friends and what their worried parent can do about this.

15-Minute Parenting: The value of being curious over certain - Mentalising Mentalisation

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 12:19:39 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks us through the psychological process of mentalisation and how we use this process to fill in the gaps of stories/life events when we don't actually know all of the details. She relates this to parents trying to read the minds of their teenagers when not a lot is being shared and the potential pitfalls of this. This episode is about embracing curiosity over certainty.

15-Minute Parenting: Why adults also need and benefit from play in their lives

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 14:08:47 +0100

You are used to hearing Joanna speak about the importance of play in children's lives, well in this episode she is spotlighting the value of play in adult lives too. This episode is for any adult, not just parents! Joanna promotes growing the opportunities for playfulness in line with our own growing adult responsibilities and highlights how healthy a playful state of mind is in adult relationships.

15-Minute Parenting: Keeping imaginative play alive through middle childhood (& beyond)

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:24:23 +0100

Joanna refers to a parenting event she did where she spoke about why our older children still need and benefit from imaginative play after which she received a flurry of questions as to how parents can achieve this. In this episode she talks us through how to keep imaginative play alive throughout childhood.

15-Minute Parenting: Eating Disorders

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 12:11:03 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks about eating disorders and disordered thinking around food. She focuses in this episode on the impact an eating disorder can have, not only on the person living with the disorder but on relationships, especially the parent-child relationship.

15-Minute Parenting: Fears and Phobias of childhood

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 15:05:14 +0100

Joanna has received many questions from parents about the fears and phobias their children have developed in recent months. In this episode she differentiates between a fear and a phobia and talks us through how to work through each with our children.

15-Minute Parenting: The quirky habits children have

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 13:29:18 +0000

Joanna responds to a question from a grossed out parent of a dedicated nose picker while reflecting on the pro-social benefits of habit formation and how we can support our children in moving from some less desirable habits to more positive ones.

15-Minute Parenting: Parental responses to self-harming behaviour

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:57:44 +0000

This episode discusses self-harm. Joanna responds to a question from a parent who feels they did not respond appropriately when they discovered their teenager was self harming. Joanna discusses what might be under-pinning it and what to do if you discover this frightening behaviour in your teenager.

15-Minute Parenting: Whining and why it works!

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 14:28:03 +0000

In this episode Joanna answers a question from a parent who is struggling to stay calm in the face of their whining child. Joanna explains what whining is about and what it is seeking to communicate to us. By deepening our understanding of this common childhood behaviour we can better and more creatively respond to it in our children

15-Minute Parenting: Do I need to play with my infant?

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 17:18:09 +0000

Joanna talks us through the early emotional development of our infant babies and how this need to connect with us through play is there from the very beginning. Joanna introduces us to practical play that we can do with our infant babies to strengthen and enhance that connection in a playful and engaging way.

15-Minute Parenting: The touchy subject of touch

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 13:32:47 +0000

Touch is the first sense we experience in life and is the last one to leave us when we die. We are tactile, touch seeking beings and we need healthy, positive touch to grow and thrive in our lives. Touch is in short supply in these pandemic times when we need it more than ever so Joanna taks us through playful and creative ways to increase skin-to-skin touch with our children, no matter how old they are

15-Minute Parenting: Parental Stamina

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:03:14 +0000

We are parenting under greater pressure than ever in this pandemic lockdown and the signs of this are evident in the drop in our parental energy or stamina. Joanna talks us through how this happens and practical and playful ways to play without even leaving your armchair

15-Minute Parenting: Exam Pressure

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 15:41:07 +0000

Our exam students are under more pressure than ever during a pandemic and in this episode Joanna talks us through how to spot the signs of stress in our exam students and some practical ways to support them through this stress to secure a greater sense of calm and co-regulation with us

15-Minute Parenting: Home-Based Learning

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:24:42 +0000

In this episode Joanna talks us through creative and playful ways to approach home-based learning during this pandemic lockdown and the good news us, it starts with helping us to go easier on ourselves and focus on our efforts over the outcome

15-Minute Parenting: Avoid a fix or change agenda in parenting

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:38:56 +0000

In this episode Joanna highlights the damage we can do if we approach every problem our children or teens have with a fix or change agenda. Joanna wonders what it will be like for us and for our children if we simply bear witness to their struggle and stay with them as they feel their way through it for themselves.

15-Minute Parenting: Bedtime Battles

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 16:56:31 +0000

Bedtime is a classic example of a parental want clashing with a child's need...we WANT them to go to sleep and they NEED to wake and check in with us. Joanna breaks down the bedtime battle from both perspectives and suggests playful sleep routines

15-Minute Parenting: The rupture and repair roller coaster of adolescence

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 14:20:52 +0000

In this episode Joanna looks at how important relational repair following rupture is in our relationship with our teenagers. Joanna explains this in the context of how we can and need to heal our inner teenager to parent a teenager with practical exercises

15-Minute Parenting: Tween years parenting

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 12:02:15 +0000

Joanna responds to a parents question about what is "normal" behaviour for these tween years and why this stage of developmental can be like walking a parental tightrope

15-Minute Parenting: Parenting in an LGBTQ+ positive way

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 15:36:00 +0000

Sexual and gender identity has become more complex, nuanced, rich and inclusive than ever before but this is more than knowing your LGBTQ+ alphabet. Joanna talks to us about parenting in an inclusive and open way while being honest about the limitations of what we know and understand.

15-Minute Parenting: A covid-Christmas

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 16:59:19 +0000

This has been a year like no other and this may well be a Christmas like no other but rather than look upon this with sadness Joanna suggests we positively refrained this Christmas as an opportunity to embrace what matters and get back to basics. How about starting new traditions? How about managing the hype in a playful way?

15-Minute Parenting: Help-my teenager has been shoplifting

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:01:15 +0000

In this episode Joanna explores the relationship between stealing and a sense of entitlement, wondering if entitlement is at the root of stealing. She also explores ways to respond to behaviour like this.

15-Minute Parenting: Dark themes in Teen TV

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 14:36:25 +0000

In this episode Joanna explores the function of the dark themes prevalent in so many Teen TV shows has in the lives of our teenagers. Why is it our teens are so drawn to the drama this darkness brings with it...is this good for them and is this darkness really reflective of their lives

15-Minute Parenting: Adolescence the age of anxiety

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 17:40:15 +0000

Is some degree of anxiety normal in adolescence? How do you recognise what might be a developmentally normal level of anxiety versus something over and above and how do you parent through either of these? In this episode Joanna talks you through adolescence and anxiety and how to parent an anxious teenager and recognise what is normal and what requires intervention.

15-Minute Parenting: Emotional Fluency

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:41:37 +0000

Emotional fluency is the ability to understand our inner-emotional world and why we might feel like we do in certain situations while developing a language to express this understanding. To encourage emotional fluency in our teenagers, we must nurture an emotional landscape in our homes. In this episode Joanna talks you through how to do this

15-Minute Parenting: The 5 adjustments in adolescence

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 15:54:45 +0000

Adolescence is a time of immense change for both you and your teenager. There are 5 key developmental adjustments that take place and each of these underpins particular behaviours that might be described as "typical teen" behaviours. In this episode Joanna talks you through each of the 5 adjustments along with the adjustments you need to make to parent through them.

15-Minute Parenting: The Three Stages of Adolescence

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:16:34 +0000

Adolescence can be a challenging time but is certainly easier to manage when you break it down into stages. In this episode Joanna talks you through the 3 stages of adolescence; starting with early, then mid and finally late adolescence

BONUS episode: 15-Minute Parenting The Teenage Years

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 17:19:03 +0100

BONUS episode: Today is the launch of Joanna's brand new book, 15-Minute Parenting The Teenage Years and to celebrate we are sharing a 15-Minute teaser of the audio book for our podcast listeners. Joanna's 15-Minute Parenting series, published by Thread Books UK is available now from online retailers in print, digital and audio formats or to order through your book store.

15 Minute Parenting: The risky business of raising risk taking kids

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 17:18:04 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks about how risk is an inherent part of our children's development starting in infancy and continuing right through adolescence. Joanna reflects on our own relationship to risk and explores the difference between positive and negative risk taking behaviour.

15 Minute Parenting: Help! My child does/doesn't want ro be Independent

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 15:26:08 +0100

In this episode Joanna reflects on how the job of parenting is to raise independent adults. This task starts in early childhood and as our children grow up we must grow the opportunities we give them to practice independence. Joanna gives us examples of how and why we might achieve this

15 Minute Parenting: The politics of playdates

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:37:36 +0100

In this episode Joanna explores the modern parenting phenomenon of playdates. From managing your children's friendships to disguising babysitting as a playdate, Joanna breaks down what can make or break a successful playdate and wonders if you should be doing them at all

15 Minute Parenting: The beauty of boredom

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 15:30:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks us through why she is such a fan of boredom and why she thinks the lack of opportunity to be bored could prove detrimental to our children's development

15 Minute Parenting: Imaginary Friends

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:30:00 +0100

Did you have an imaginary friend as a child or does your child have one? In this episode Joanna breaks down the psychology behind the imaginary friend and talks you through creative and playful ways to welcome the imaginary friend in while containing them within your parental boundaries.

15-Minute Parenting: Reading

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:55:54 +0100

Joanna advocates that nurturing a love of reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. In this episode she talks you through what the developmental benefits are for children in reading but also how reading a bedtime story is a great parent-child activity along with some creative and playful tips to inspire even a reluctant reader

15-Minute Parenting. Outdoor Play

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 09:30:00 +0100

In this episode Joanna talks about the benefits of outdoor play for children. Our children need 1-3 hours of outdoor play each day? Joanna will talk you through why this is and how to create waves of mild, moderate and high levels of activity throughout your child's day

15-Minute Parenting. A Therapeutic Approach To Parenting

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 14:48:12 +0100

Have you ever felt like you are the one having the tantrums rather than your children? Perhaps you are "snapping" more than you like, or you are feeling more irritable with your children generally. If this describes you or how you feel sometimes, then you may want to consider pausing and completing a Parental Self-Audit. In this episode, Joanna will explain reflecting inwards to parent outwards and how to recharge your parental stamina with some time for you.

15-Minute Parenting. Stages of Developmental Play

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 17:05:41 +0100

In this episode, Joanna talks through the different stages of developmental play. When to expect each stage, how to identify gaps and how to close those gaps - if you need to. Developmental play is language of children. Understanding how and why our children play and how childrens' play develops as a child grows, helps us to build our own play fluency and understand our children better. After all, we were once children too!

15-Minute Parenting. Homework

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 17:23:23 +0100

Homework: Joanna is not on the fence about her views on homework (not a fan) and talks us through why some children will struggle more than others with it...and let's be honest, some of us parents struggle with it too. She has lots of creative and playful ideas to share.

15-Minute Parenting. Understanding Death

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 16:04:57 +0100

Understanding Death. Between the ages of 4-6 years old children can become quite fascinated with death, as they learn to understand the concept. An understanding that will develop as they grow emotionally. Joanna talks us through the balance of getting more comfortable talking about uncomfortable topics, and why language matters when spending time with children, playing and talking about this sensitive theme.

15-Minute Parenting. Body Image

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 14:29:48 +0100

Body Image is part of a child's whole self-image and sense of self. Having a good body image helps children to feel confident and to know that there is more to their bodies than how they look. But how do we instil and nurture a healthy body-image in our children? What role does our own relationship play in our children's body image? Joanna will talk you through this topic with practical do's and don'ts to enable you to strengthen and enhance your child's body image as they grow and develop.

15-Minute Parenting. Confident Child

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 14:57:40 +0100

Confidence. It is natural for parents to want confident children because we believe in our children and want them to feel about themselves, as we feel about them. However is praising our children enough to instill confidence? In this episode Joanna talks us through the sometimes rocky road to self-confidence and how to recover from the embarrassments that challenge that veneer of confidence. Joanna also works through some creative and play-based solutions to raising confident children.

15-Minute Parenting. Covid-19 & Social Distancing

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 12:28:44 +0100

Covid-19 has introduced some new challenges for parents with children. In this episode, Joanna discusses the possible effects of Covid related social distancing on children. Joanna also explains some play based solutions to help offset any potential impact on a child - due to Covid restrictions.

15-MinuteParenting. Developing Friendship (Part 2)

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 09:34:41 +0100

Friendships Part 2. This episode takes a closer look at challenges that can emerge in children's friendships, especially around that middle childhood phase of pre-teen years. Joanna talks us through what is social exclusion and what is simply growing apart and how to creatively respond to both.

15-MinuteParenting. Developing Friendship (Part1)

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 13:42:54 +0100

Friendship Part 1. This podcast focuses on younger children and how they develop and grow their friendships. Joanna talks us through the developmental phases of friendship from toddlerhood up to adolescence and how, with rare exception, the best advice for parents is to stay out of their children's friendships.

15-Minute Parenting. Lying.

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:42:26 +0100

Joanna asserts that lying is a part of life and that learning to lie is as developmentally important as learning to tell the truth. Joanna talks us through the theory behind why, how, and when children lie and how we can creatively respond to this phase of their development.

15-Minute Parenting. Discipline.

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 20:23:34 +0100

In order to be effective, Joanna believes that discipline should aim to teach rather than punish behaviour. Joanna talks you through creative approaches to discipline, supported by her model of less tears and more laughter - because our children need to feel connected while they are being corrected.

15-Minute Parenting. Lets Talk About Screentime.

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 10:45:00 +0100

How young is too young for screen-time? How long is too long for screen-time? Joanna talks you through the pros and cons of screen-time for children including why it effects some children more than others and how we can build some relational connectivity into screen-time.