Parental Control

My Baba

Parental Control is a monthly parenting and lifestyle podcast created by My Baba and hosted by the website's founder Leonora Bamford. The first episode came about when Leonora became increasingly frustrated at how challenging it is to keep her children safe online and wanted to find out what teenagers really think about being online and staying safe. Parental Control is about feeling in control as a parent or prospective parent and feeling confident tackling problems head-on. Each month, we'll discuss current and on-going issues that affect mums and dads throughout parenthood and tease out the solutions with the help of some brilliant guest and expert speakers. My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

  1. Sep 17

    Katharine Radice On How Many Clubs Should Your Child Actually Be Doing?

    Swimming on Monday. Football on Tuesday. Music on Wednesday. Gymnastics at the weekend. Sound familiar? For many families, extracurricular activities have become an almost automatic part of childhood. We want our children to try new things, build confidence, make friends and discover what they love. But somewhere along the way, have we started to believe that every empty space in their diary needs filling? In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson welcomes education expert Katharine Radice back to the podcast. With more than 20 years' classroom experience and in-depth knowledge of education and adolescent development, Katharine advises schools nationally and internationally and is the author of The Parent's Guide to Exam Stress. Together, they ask a deceptively simple question: how many clubs should our children actually be doing? From the benefits of extracurricular activities and the warning signs of an overscheduled child to knowing when to let kids quit, Katharine explores whether every child really needs a packed diary and how much of the pressure is actually coming from us as parents. And what about doing absolutely nothing? They also discuss the importance of boredom, free play and giving children the space to simply be children. Because perhaps the question isn't how much more we can fit into their week, but whether we're in danger of scheduling the childhood out of them. Email us at info@mybaba.com Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram Show notes What is My Baba? My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting. Visit mybaba.com  The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

  2. Sep 9

    Are We Doing Too Much To Our Skin? William Foley On Skincare & Healthy Ageing

    What if the secret to better skin isn't doing more, but doing less? In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson sits down with multi-award-winning aesthetician and celebrity facialist William Foley, founder of William Foley Skin and creator of The BioSync Method™, to challenge some of the biggest messages we're being sold about skincare today. With 17 years of hands-on experience working with skin, William believes we've become obsessed with fixing, stripping, resurfacing and perfecting it, often at the expense of the skin's own ability to function. Together, Ellie and William unpack the rise of complicated skincare routines, viral beauty trends and increasingly young children reaching for powerful actives. They explore what chronic stress can actually do to our skin, why the nervous system matters more than we might realise, and whether our constant pursuit of younger-looking skin is doing us any favours. The conversation also covers men's skincare, teenage skin, the changes that come with perimenopause and ageing, and the growing world of regenerative aesthetics. William shares his thoughts on why more intervention isn't necessarily better, what genuinely healthy skin looks like and the simple things we can all do to support stronger, more resilient skin. If your bathroom cabinet is overflowing with serums, acids and products promising to transform your face, this conversation might just persuade you to rethink the lot. Email us at info@mybaba.com Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram Show notes Find out more about William Foley at william-foley.com and follow him on Instagram @william_foley_. Website: William Foley Skin Instagram: @william_foley_ What is My Baba? My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting. Visit mybaba.com  The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

  3. Aug 26

    Should We Ban Social Media For Under-16s? A Child Psychologist Weighs In

    Would banning social media for under-16s protect our children, or simply drive their online lives further underground? As debate around children's access to social media continues, Ellie Thompson welcomes Child and Educational Psychologist Dr Emily Crosby to the Parental Control podcast to look beyond the headlines and explore what social media is really doing to young minds. With more than 13 years' experience supporting children, young people and their families across NHS, local authority and private practice settings, Dr Crosby explains why adolescence is such a critical period for identity, self-esteem and emotional development, and how constant exposure to unrealistic content and addictive platforms can affect everything from body image and attention to anxiety and low mood. But is an outright ban the answer? Ellie and Emily discuss whether children would simply find ways around restrictions, the danger of pushing social media use underground, and whether banning access could inadvertently make some online risks harder for parents to spot. They also tackle the bigger questions: Should tech companies be doing more? Are parents being expected to shoulder too much responsibility? What happens to teenagers who rely on online communities for connection? And if social media is off limits until 16, what magically changes on their 16th birthday? Most importantly, Dr Crosby shares practical advice for parents on creating healthier digital habits at home – whether a ban happens or not. Email us at info@mybaba.com Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram Show notes Instagram: @doctoremilyep  Website: dremilycrosby.com What is My Baba? My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting. Visit mybaba.com  The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

  4. Jul 28

    Children's Phobias: What Every Parent Needs To Know

    Fear is a normal part of childhood. From monsters under the bed to spiders, needles and the dark, most children will experience fears as they grow. But when does a fear become a phobia? And what can parents do to help? In this episode of Parental Control, Ellie Thompson is joined by leading Harley Street phobia expert and Face Your Fears author Christopher Paul Jones. Having overcome his own debilitating phobias, Christopher has spent more than 20 years helping people around the world—including Hollywood actors, musicians and celebrities—break free from fears that once controlled their lives. Together, they explore why phobias develop, how parents can respond without reinforcing fear, and why Christopher believes many phobias can be overcome far more quickly than most people realise. Whether your child is terrified of dogs, needles, vomiting or even going to school, this fascinating conversation is packed with practical advice that could help your whole family face fears with greater confidence. Email us at info@mybaba.com Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram Show notes Face Your Fears, 7 Steps to Conquering Phobias & Anxiety What is My Baba? My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting. Visit mybaba.com  The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

  5. Jul 22

    The GCSE Problem Nobody Is Talking About

    Every year in England, thousands of bright, capable kids sit down to take their GCSE English and maths exams — and fail. Not because they don't know the material. Not because they haven't worked hard. But because the exam itself only tests one narrow way of showing what you know. My guest today has lived this. She watched her own dyslexic son work harder than anyone, understand the material, and still miss the pass mark — again and again — by the smallest of margins. And she watched what that did to him. So she did something about it. She founded Fairer Exams, a parent-led campaign fighting for a fairer GCSE system — and she's since taken the message to the TEDx stage with a talk called Why exams need to change. Today we're talking about dyslexia, dyscalculia, and why England is falling so far behind when it comes to fair assessment. We'll get into the terrifying stats — did you know as many as one in three young people are effectively locked out of opportunity because of this one narrow form of testing? And we'll talk about a route that exists right now, hiding in plain sight, that almost nobody knows about — one that could change the trajectory for thousands of kids, if only more parents knew it was there. This is a conversation for every parent — not just those with a child who has additional needs — because this system touches every single family sending a child through school. My guest today is Hannah Gee, founder of Fairer Exams. What a pleasure it was. Email us at info@mybaba.com Follow us on Instagram @mybabainsta and @mybabagram Show notes What is My Baba? My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting. Visit mybaba.com  The Content on this podcast is provided by My Baba and represents our sole opinions and views. For more information on our terms and conditions please refer to the website: https://www.mybaba.com/terms-conditions/

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Parental Control is a monthly parenting and lifestyle podcast created by My Baba and hosted by the website's founder Leonora Bamford. The first episode came about when Leonora became increasingly frustrated at how challenging it is to keep her children safe online and wanted to find out what teenagers really think about being online and staying safe. Parental Control is about feeling in control as a parent or prospective parent and feeling confident tackling problems head-on. Each month, we'll discuss current and on-going issues that affect mums and dads throughout parenthood and tease out the solutions with the help of some brilliant guest and expert speakers. My Baba provides the daily scoop on family, food and lifestyle - we're not just experts at all things parenting.

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