Parentline NI - Your Guide to Parenting
To raise thriving children parents need better support. Parentline NI is here for all parents offering support, guidance or advice wherever you are on the parenting journey. We are a helpline for parents operated by Children in Northern Ireland. The Parentline podcasts will explore the ups and downs of parenting with honest and frank discussions to support parents to lay the strongest possible foundations for their children. Find out more information about Parentline NI at http://www.ci-ni.org.uk/parentline-ni
- Update frequency
- every 32 days
- Average duration
- 35 minutes
- Episodes
- 57
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Smartphones & Childhood — Striking the Balance
Smartphones are becoming part of children’s lives earlier than ever — and for many parents, it’s not an easy decision to make.
From staying in touch to keeping up with peers, there’s a lot to weigh u…
Supporting Neurodiverse Children Through Life’s Big Transitions
In this deeply insightful episode of the Parentline podcast, host Kerry McLean is joined by Tanya Strowger, a mother of three and counsellor at Jigsaw Community Counselling Centre, and Rebecca McCull…
Supporting Parents and Carers in NI: Kerry chats to the Parentline Team
In this special episode, Kerry chats to three of the Parentline NI team - Kathy, Roisin and Julie. This episode focuses on the core ethos of the Parentline service.
They discuss the importance of conn…
Managing Anxiety Based School Avoidance - from the voices of Parents and Professionals
At Parentline, we are experiencing a large number of calls from parents and carers who are struggling with the issue of Anxiety Based School avoidance.
Many of these parents feel like they are the o…
Empowering Parents: Navigating Dyslexia with Confidence and Compassion
Kate McKeown and Sarah Carvell chat to Kerry McLean about their experiences with dyslexia - they discuss their barriers to support, trusting their own judgements around their childrens' needs, and na…
Parenting through...our experiences with ADHD
This episode, Kerry talks to two guests, Bronagh Donnelly and Mary Jordan. Bronagh's son has ADHD, and she also works for an ADHD support service.
Mary has ADHD herself, and so do both of her childre…
Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas on a Budget
This episode, Kerry chats to two local parents, Barbara and Katrina, who share their views on how to rediscover the magic of Christmas, on a budget!
They discuss their own, personal family traditions…
Breastfeeding - Making it work for you and your baby
Breastfeeding counsellor Katy Lynn chats to Kerry about the emotive topic of breastfeeding. They talk about some of the amazing qualities of breastmilk, the joys of breastfeeding and discuss awarene…
#50 - Parenting through Vision Impairment and Sight Loss
Kerry talks to Hannah Conroy, mum to Ben, age 9, who has vision impairment. Hannah describes how she navigated getting support in place for Ben, as well as talking about his resilience and positivity…
#49 - Parenting through Meningitis and resulting disabilities
This episode Kerry talks to Sorina and Cosmin, parents of 8 year old Ezra. Ezra became ill at 14 months and is a below the knee double amputee. He also lost fingers on his right hand. Kerry discusses…
#48 - Parenting through...having a child with a lifelong condition
Kerry McLean talks to Chris and Rebecca, who each have a son with a rare genetic condition, called PKU.
They courageously discuss how it affects their lives, and the wider family circle. They explain …
#47 - Parenting through Teen Pregnancy
Teen Pregnancy - somemthing that is usually unplanned and unexpected, by both parents and their teenagers!
Katrina, a teen mum with a newborn, and Paula, a former teen mum whose daughter is now in her…
#46 - Parenting through Bereavement and Grief
This episode shares the experience of Michaela, who lost her mother just six weeks after the birth of her first baby, all during the peak of Covid 19.
Kerry and Michaela discuss how she coped with th…
#45 - Parenting through Childcare Costs - with Melted Parents NI
This episode is the second of our 'Parenting through...' series. Kerry talks to Casey and Becca, the recent founders of Melted Parents NI - their aim is to share the human stories behind the childcar…
#44 - Discussing Emotional Literacy - being emotionally aware for our children
The thought of our children or our young people going through emotional pain and hurt is horrible. As parents or carers, we want them to have a perfect, stress-free, pain-free life. But of course, t…
#43 - Parenting through Eating Disorders - Laurence's Story
In this episode, Pam Nugent, co-founder of The Laurence Trust, tells her story about the loss of her son, Laurence, to an eating disorder.
For #eatingdisorderawarenessweek2023, there is a focus on me…
#42 - Autism Next Steps - Kerry and Rebecca chat autism pre and post diagnosis
In this episode we were delighted to have Rebecca from Eden Consultancy back with us to chat more about autism. Kerry and Rebecca chat about next steps after diagnosis, as well as discussing stigmas…
#41 - Healing the Wounds of the Past - how Childhood Trauma impacts our Parenting. Kerry McLean chats to Lisa Cherry
Lisa and Kerry chat about the impact of childhood trauma on the person we become, and in turn our own parenting styles. They discuss the vocabulary we need to talk about trauma and it's impact on our…
#40 - Bringing Dads together through Parenthood, with Col Bignell of DadBods
This episode, Kerry talks to Col Bignell, founder of DadBods - a group for dads to get together and connect through what it's like to be a dad!
Every Sunday they get together in a new outdoor location…
#39 - How to be a Mindful Parent, with Patrick McIlwee
Patrick McIlwee, from New Ways NI - Tailored Mindset Coaching, chats to Kerry McLean about ways to use mindfulness in our parenting, both for ourselves and for our children.
Resources:
https://5lovela…