The Parenting NI Podcast

This Parenting Week, we're sitting down with MLA Robbie Butler to discuss his journey as both a parent and a kinship carer. Robbie shares his personal experiences, the joys and challenges of family life, and his thoughts on how we can better support parents and carers in Northern Ireland. Whether you're a parent, carer, or just interested in hearing a heartfelt and honest conversation, this episode is for you! Tune in to hear Robbie's inspiring story and join us in celebrating the diverse experiences of family life

For #menshealthweek our Senior Participation and Research Officer Emma met with Ciara Knox, Regional Speech and Language Coordinator for Surestart to discuss the importance and impact of fathers involvement in their child's therapy and how parents are their child's first teacher.

Emma Hitchen (Senior Participation and Research Officer, Parenting Focus) talks to Laura Dowie (Timely Careers, Director) about what support is available to women returning to the workplace after a period of absence.

The theme for Single Parent Day 2024 is ‘recognition', which allows us to recognise single parents and all they do, as well as recognising the need for wider supports and structural change to improve the lives of single parent families

Children born in sub-Saharan Africa are 15 times more likely to die in childhood than children in Europe and North America and the earliest days of life are still the most dangerous for children born in Kenya and all over Africa. Child.org work with pregnant women, new mums, communities and government to provide life-saving antenatal and postnatal health information, connect communities and services, and advocate for quality care so that mums and babies stay safe, alive and healthy. QUB student placement Hannah talks to Child.org on the work that they do, and the similarities between this, and work carried out at Parenting NI. Please note: This podcast was recorded virtually and therefore subject to low sound quality at parts, due to interruptions in transmission.

Former CEO of Parenting NI, Pip Jaffa, join us to discuss the importance of grandparents.

Mark Williams is a mental health advocate, particularly passionate about the mental health of fathers and new parents. Founder of Fathers Reaching Out and International Fathers Mental Health Day, Mark campaigns tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of paternal wellbeing. Highly sought as a motivational speaker, Mark is called upon to start conversations about perinatal mental health issues having now spoken at over 350 events. Mark speaks to Parenting NI about the struggles of fathers perinatal mental health issues, and how to be an advocate for fathers.

Kate and Brian from Family Care Adoption Services join us to talk about the services they can provide for those looking to adopt and for those who have been adopted. Website - https://familycareadoption.com/ Linktr.ee - linktr.ee/familycareadoption Phone – 028 9069 1133 Email- email@familycareadoption.org Information pack download: https://www.parentingni.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Information-Pack.pdf

In this episode the dads discuss the changes and challenges of going through a separation.

In this episode Cahir (Parenting NI Dads Support Services Lead), and a group of dads, talk about planning a family, parenting and technology.

Roz (HMRC Tax-free Childcare Policy Lead) talks to us about Tax-free Childcare and how to apply for this goverment support.   Links mentioned: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk Tax-Free Childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Apply for Tax-Free Childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Apply via phone on 0300 123 4097  (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)

Tune in to the latest Parenting NI podcast when we talk to Detective Chief Inspector of the PSNI Kerry Brennan. This week we discuss the dangers your children can encounter online, including online grooming and how parents can become empowered to open the dialog of communication with their children around online safety and what they are doing online, and what to do if your child has been a victim from an online predator. 

Our very own Cahir gets together with a group of dad's to discuss all things fatherhood. 

Today we sit down with Conal Baxter, Senior Policy & Research Officer to discuss the findings of the Big Parenting Survey conducted by Parenting NI

This month, we chatted to Laura Perry & Aidan Burns from PlayBoard NI about the Importance of Play! Play is so important for children's development for so many reasons. Find out all of the facts about play on this episode!    PlayBoard NI > https://www.playboard.org/ Summer of Play > https://www.summerofplay.co.uk/ Parenting NI > https://www.parentingni.org/

In this episode, Catherine chats to Aileen McGloin, Director of Marketing and Communications at ‎safefood & Joana da Silva, Expert in Human Health and Nutrition at safefood. The trio discuss the latest safefood 'START' campaign which aims to equip parents with the tools to adopt better healthy eating habits for their family & cut down on treats!    Find out more about the campaign & find healthy recipes, tips & tricks for parents here! > https://www.safefood.net/start

In this episode, Catherine is joined by Chris Eisenstadt from BookTrust NI to discuss reading! The pair chat about the benefits of reading with your child & have lots of helpful tips for parents to help foster a genuine enjoyment of reading in their children. There are so many simple ways to help encourage your child to get into reading - listen now for some tips!

In this episode, Catherine is joined by the fabulous Gail Toal, Financial Wellbeing Manager for Bank of Ireland. They chat about the impact that the pandemic has had on working parents while homeschooling & discuss employee wellbeing tactics, a variety of self-care suggestions, and work-life balance strategies.   

Catherine catches up with the fabulous Shirley Millar, Education Manager for Parenting NI. The pair discuss the impact the pandemic is having on parental mental health. They share lots of strategies & tips for parents to practice to improve their mental health & discuss how doing this can positively impact the children in your life.  You can check out our Facebook page for helpful tips, support & much more as the pandemic continues and brings with it an array of problems for parents to manage. For more support contact Parenting NI for free on 0808 8010 722 or visit www.parentingni.org. 

Our new host Catherine catches up with Parenting NI Parental Participation Officer, Elaine & Business Development Officer, Rosie. In this episode, they discuss their experiences of Parenting in the Pandemic & reflect on the challenges this situation has brought for parents in 2020. You can check out our Facebook page for helpful tips, support & lots of Christmas related content now we're into December! For more support contact Parenting NI for free on 0808 8010 722 or visit www.parentingni.org. 

Emma catches up with Parenting NI Education and Participation Officer, Lauren. In this episode, the girls consider whether the slow paced lifestyle of lockdown is actually having a positive impact on us, discuss self-care, why it's important and how we can make ourselves a priority when we feel overwhelmed.  You can also check out our Facebook page for daily tips on self-care. For more support contact Parenting NI for free on 0808 8010 722 or visit www.parentingni.org. 

We're back! We had a brief break last month but we're glad to be chatting with you again.  For Father's Day 2020 - Emma chats with Cahir Murray, Coordinator of the Dads Project, about the impact Covid-19 has had on fathers and particularly on separated dads who may be struggling to see their children. Dads from the project's Steering Group also share their messages of hope for Father's Day.  Support for dads is available for free - call 0808 8010 722 or visit https://www.parentingni.org/parents/dads-project/

Over a month into lockdown in the UK due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Emma chats to Dr John Coleman about why we need to cut teenagers some slack at this time. Dr Coleman gives insights into teenage brain development and offers some advice on how we can support our young people at this time both in terms of emotional wellbeing and when it comes to keeping them safe online. Parenting NI are continuing to offer support to parents in the current circumstances. You can visit our website to take a look at resources we have shared so far. If you would like to support Parenting NI at this difficult time we would really appreciate it, you can make a donation via our Localgiving page.

We are living in a world were children and young people have more information about what's going on in the world than ever before. With fears over climate change, terror attacks and the current pandemic of Coronavirus, the constant stream of news we now have access to can cause anxiety for both children and adults. In this episode we discuss some tips for easing anxiety and building resilience in our children and young people.  Some links you might want to also check out on Fake News and talking to your children about Coronavirus. You can follow Parenting NI on social media for the latest news and information to support parents and families during the current COVID-19 outbreak - find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

This month Emma chats with Parenting NI Policy and Research Officer Chris, as they take a deep dive into the latest findings from the charity's annual Big Parenting Survey. Exploring the realities of parenting in today's society, what parents are struggling with and what support they would like. This year the survey also focused on the impact technology is having on children and parents.  You can read the full report online at https://www.parentingni.org/news/big-parenting-survey-2019-findings/  

This month many children will have got the results of their transfer tests. This is can often be a challenging change for young people as they make the transition from Primary to 'Big School'. In this episode we discuss the concerns some parents and children might have around settling in and looking at the positive opportunities a moving onto secondary school can bring.  You can read our research paper on School Transitions here: www.parentingni.org/blog/parents-guide-school-transitions  If you would like some further help or reassurance you can contact Parenting NI for free on 0808 8010 722.

It's the final episode of the Parenting NI Podcast for 2019! This month Emma is joined by Parenting Education Manager, Shirley to talk about how the festive period can often cause conflict in a lot of households. We explore how to cope when family conflict arises and also look at ways we can look after ourselves when January comes around and we might be feeling a bit blue.  Thanks for all your support of the podcast this year, we're looking forward to being back in 2020 and chatting to you more then! Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year! 

Off the back of Anti-Bullying Week, we talk to the NI Anti-Bullying Forum Chair, Gillian Cuthbert and National Children's Bureau Assistant Director, Deirdre McAliskey about concerns parents have around their children being bullied. This episode explores what bullying is, how to identify it, online bullying, what do to if your child is being bullied at school, and how you can help your child with strategies to deal with bullying and promote their confidence and self-esteem. You can find out more about the NI Anti-Bullying Forum here: http://www.endbullying.org.uk and to get more information on the competition click here. If you are concerned about your child and bullying you can contact Parenting NI for free on 0808 8010 722 or visit our website. 

It's Parenting Week! Our favourite week of the year, and this year it's a double celebration as we mark 20 years of running the annual initiative and 40 years of supporting parents in Northern Ireland. We chat about what all we've been up to to celebrate and have a special interview with Pip Jaffa, who has been involved with the charity since it's beginnings in 1979. Pip gives insight into what it was like in the early days when the helpline first started, how things have changed for families and what support she'd like to see for parents and families now. 

Ahead of World Mental Health Day, we meet up with our friends at Tinylife and chat to 2 mums about their experiences around mental health and having a premature baby. You can find out more about the Positive Minds for Premature Parents project by calling freephone 0808 8010 722 or visit Tinylife's website. You can read our latest parents article looking at what research says about parental mental health here.

There's not long to go now until young people pick up their exam results! This can be a tense and nerve wrecking time for parents and young people, so this month we're chatting about how to manage your expectations and other options for your young people other than the traditional academic route. We also talk to Young Enterprise about investing in young people's entrepreneurial and employability skills. 

The kids are off for summer, which we are unbelievably halfway through! This month we're discussing ideas for beating boredom over the holidays. We also explore whether boredom can ever be a good thing for children and the importance of play. You can read our accompanying article for more on the research and activity ideas: www.parentingni.org/blog/summer-boredom.

Happy Father's Day! This month is all about dads, Hear more about the Dads Project, chat about being a 'real' man with Conor McCafferty from Zest - Healing The Hurt of Self-harm and Suicide, inspiration and affirmations from Glenn Hinds Motivation & Coaching Consultants, and we talk to dads about having support for dads means to them.

After our stint in the Belfast City Marathon, this month is all about exercise and discussing the positive impact it can have on your mental health. We catch up with the Families Together Walking Group in St Mary's Primary School Strabane, hearing how walking brought them friendship and we also hear Thomas Walls from Grosvenor Community Centre and his inspirational journey with fitness and exercise.

This month we're talking all about reading and the benefits it has for children's development. We also have a chat with Libraries NI about some of the services libraries provide for families in Northern Ireland. Alongside the exciting news of our app and how we'll be running in the Belfast City Marathon Team Relay to help raise funds to continue the development of it. If you would like to donate we'd really appreciate it! You can do so here: https://localgiving.org/appeal/teampnirelay/

Happy Mother's Day! This month we're focusing on the challenges of balancing motherhood and a career following our special event for working mums at Belfast Castle. We discuss employee wellbeing, work life balance and ask mums about their experiences. 

For Safer Internet Day we discuss all things video gaming. From concerns to who children could be playing online with, to loot boxes and streaming. More information on children and gaming can be found on our website: https://www.parentingni.org/tag/gaming/

We've decided to give podcasting a go! This first episode introduces you to Parenting NI, the leading charity for parenting support in Northern Ireland and explores what we hope to do with the podcast. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about Parenting NI at www.parentingni.org.