The Dad Vibes: Parenting Truths

Are you concerned about your child’s YouTube habits and their screen time? In this video, I explore three alarming ways to help parents understand how YouTube hijacks our kids' brains, and why it's so difficult to get them to turn it off. Plus, I share some actionable tips to help your family use YouTube more healthily. Check out my guide and checklist to help your child use YouTube in a healthier way - https://www.thedadvibes.com/healthy-youtube-habits 📖 FURTHER READING: Emily Cherkin, screen time consultant - https://thescreentimeconsultant.com/about-emily Amanda Kloer, a campaign director with the child safety group ParentsTogether - https://parentstogetheraction.org/online-safety-team/ Donna Volpitta, Ed.D., founder of The Center for Resilient Leadership - https://www.understood.org/en/people/baac933182144b13bcad2d82a3252d7a

In this episode, I chat with Crystal Miles, a certified infant massage instructor and founder of Connection Cards. Crystal shares her unique approach to alternative education, drawing from her personal experience with home education while juggling the demands of a full-time career. We delve into her journey into the world of infant massage, uncovering how it evolved from a passion to a fulfilling career. Crystal addresses common misconceptions about baby massage and highlights the importance of respecting a baby's cues. Join us for an open and honest conversation as Crystal discusses her insights on balancing work, education, and parenting, offering valuable advice and inspiration along the way. Enjoy!

Kate Lancaster, also known as Dairy Free Mum, shares her parenting journey and how she started supporting parents navigating food allergies. She discusses her daughter's cow's milk allergy and the challenges they faced as first-time parents. Kate shares plenty of tips and advice on introducing allergens during weaning, managing allergies in schools and childcare, and dealing with the anxiety and stress that comes with parenting a child with allergies. We also discuss Kate’s upcoming book, which includes lots of recipes and practical tips for parents dealing with food allergies.

Amit Kalley, co-founder of 'For Working Parents' supports both organisations and parents to help parents thrive in the workplace. Amit discusses the importance of flexibility and support for parents in the workplace and shares the inspiration behind founding the business. We explore the challenges faced by working parents, balancing work life and parenting life, returning to work after maternity and paternity leave, as well as reclaiming belonging in the workplace. Join us as Amit imparts invaluable wisdom and practical advice for working parents, offering insights into the joy of parenthood and the profound rewards of fostering a supportive professional environment.

This week's SNIPPET is from episode 7 of the podcast with Psychotherapist, Anna Mathur. One of the biggest questions I'm asked is "Where do I start with self-care? I have no time!". So Anna and I dive into this topic and provide parents with a roadmap to help them start looking after themselves.

Connect: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/thedadvibes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Today I’m joined by Danielle Facey also known as The Breastfeeding Mentor. Danielle supports mothers through their breastfeeding journey through her social media content and online workshops. In the UK, between 70 - 80% of mothers initiate breastfeeding, and by 6 months, that number drops to less than 1%. So we unpick all of this and more in today's episode. This chat is completely judgement-free, so whatever your family's feeding journey, you can take some value away from this episode.

Connect: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/thedadvibes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Today I’m joined by Ken Koyama, Ken makes up one-half of the popular blog, The Interracial Space. Ken is the proud dad to a 6-month-old little girl, and today we explore pregnancy, paternity leave, dad guilt and the daunting transition into fatherhood.

Connect: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/thedadvibes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Today's guest, Midwife Sister, Pip Davies supports parents through all aspects of pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Pip is on a mission to provide honest, evidence-based antenatal and postnatal education, to ensure women feel empowered to birth free from fear, and so that they’re prepared to navigate their parenting journey. Today we explore how parents can prepare for the birth, and Pop shared tips on how they can navigate the postnatal period. As well as touching on the NHS, breastfeeding, and how we can support parents through loss.

Connect: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/thedadvibes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@the.dad.vibes Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thedadvibes Resources:

9 parenting books that will change your life - https://www.thedadvibes.com/books Calmer Parenting Course - https://bit.ly/TheCalmParent The Guide To Losing It...Less - https://bit.ly/loseitless

Today I’m joined by infant sleep consultant, founder of care it out and nanny of 20 years, Kerry Secker. Navigating sleep with our kids can be challenging, it can also be confusing, and often parents are told that the only thing that’ll work is to leave their babies and kids to cry themselves to sleep, and their child will magically sleep through the night.

Kerry has had such a unique journey into parenthood. She was a nanny for 20 years, then began working with families to help them find gentle ways to navigate their little ones' sleep, and then a little later in life, became a parent.

We unpick all of this in today's episode. So if you’re struggling with your little ones' sleep, or if you want to hear what life was like for Kerry as she transitioned into parenthood after 2 decades of looking after kids for other families. This episode is for you. Connect: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/thedadvibes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Today I bring you a SNIPPET from episode 8 with clinical psychologist, Dr. Martha Collado. In this short clip, we explore the term breaking generational cycles. It’s a term that’s used heavily these days but is it fair for people to blame their parents for how they were raised? Or were their parents doing the best they could?

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Zoe Blaskey is a coach, speaker and founder of the Motherkind Podcast which is one of the most popular parenting podcasts in the world with almost 4M downloads. In today's episode, we dive into breaking those generational cycles, the challenges new mothers face, how Zoe entered into the world of conscious parenting, and what she’s learnt from chatting with some of the world's great minds including Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr. Gordon Neufeld and Dr. Becky Kennedy.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

In this episode of the Parenting Truths Podcast, we delve into a topic that is often shrouded in silence and secrecy: infertility. Joining me today is Logan Donnelly, better known as KiwiDad, who opens up about his personal journey.

At just 6 years old, Logan suffered a head injury, and at 17, he was involved in a car crash. These incidents took a toll on his health, leading to low energy, frequent migraines, and an alarming discovery, that his hormonal system was completely out of sync.

Facing a life-altering decision at the age of 21, Logan was offered hormone replacement therapy as a potential solution. However, this treatment came with an unfortunate side effect, infertility!

Logan bravely shares his unique journey, taking us through the emotional challenges he encountered. Determined to become a parent, he even experimented with fertility drugs, which brought about their own set of side effects.

Join us as we delve into Logan's powerful story, shedding light on the realities and struggles of infertility.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

This week's episode is a personal story from a recent trip away. We had paid for our oldest who's 5yo to do a Pirate Crafts activity for an hour and he just wasn't feeling it. This can be very frustrating for parents, especially when we've paid for something and things just don't go to plan. How did it play out? How did we respond? Tune in to find out.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Today I bring you a SNIPPET from episode 3 with cognitive behavioural therapist and dad of 3, Ted Bradshaw. In this clip, Ted talks about the moment he became a dad, the transition into fatherhood and how he struggled to feel that immediate bond and connection with his first.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

In the UK, parents are offered 15 hours of free childcare per week for all 3 and 4-year-olds. However, in the recent budget, it was announced that this offer is expanding to 30 hours of free childcare per week for working parents with a child from 9 months old right up to 3 years old. This is a radical offer that will double the amount the government spend on childcare by 2027-28.

But what does this mean for the state of childcare in the UK, do we have the infrastructure to cope with this expansion? Childcare settings continually report a high turnover of staff due to low wages and limited career progression. And within the offer, the staff-to-toddler ratio is increasing, so what impact will this have on the safety of our kids?

I seek answers to all of these questions in today's episode where I'm joined by Conservative MP and Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing Minister Countinho.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

For dads the perinatal period can be challenging, to say the least, but unfortunately, there’s a distinct lack of support for dads during this period, especially here in the UK. Today I’m joined by Kieran Anders who is Operations Manager for Dad Matters UK. Dad Matters work tirelessly to help dads to have successful relationships with their families and provide support for anxiety, stress and mental health issues. As well as supporting dads with their mental health, they place significant importance on attachment and bonding, which traditionally dads haven’t discussed. Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

This week's SNIPPET is from episode 5 of the podcast with dad of 3, Russ Buckner. At one point in time, Russ’ kids were aged 3 and under, and when his wife was in hospital having their second in 2020, the world went into complete lockdown. In this clip, Russ shares what that was like, and their new baby in the neonatal unit, Russ was handed a letter to say that only one parent was allowed in the hospital at any given time.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

My guest today is Chris Beavers, founder of FatherFitPT.com and a dedicated father of two. Chris' mission revolves around supporting dads in maintaining their fitness, but what sets his message apart is his emphasis on the holistic benefits of leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. Chris looks beyond the physical appearance and encourages dads to focus on their fitness to unlock the mental health benefits it brings.

Throughout the episode, we unravel practical strategies for parents to initiate small yet positive changes in their lives. Additionally, we tackle the common challenge of motivation, and if you find yourself struggling to stay motivated, Chris offers valuable insights and actionable steps to reignite your commitment to personal well-being.

Tune in to discover how embracing fitness as a parent can pave the way for a transformative journey towards a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

Lee Heard joins me to chat about Drowning Prevention Week. Lee is the charity director of the Royal Life Saving Society, the RLSS is on a mission to get everyone in the UK and Ireland enjoying the water safely.
Getting our little ones competent and confident in the water is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. It could potentially save their life. But of course, they can take time, patience and in some cases a fair amount of money.
“In the UK, on average, one person a day drowns, which is more than domestic fire deaths.”
Lee shares advice on how you can start getting your child confident in the water, and we chat all about drowning prevention week which is running all week long, so stay tuned and find out how you can get involved.

Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/

This week's SNIPPET is from episode 4 of the podcast with James Hunt from Stories About Autism. In this clip, James explains how they discovered their first, Jude, might have had autism, and how they received a diagnosis when he was just 15 months old. James also explores how he started to let go of the expectations he had when becoming a dad, and how he realised his journey would be much more challenging than he had expected. Connect: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.dad.vibes/