This is a three part series of episodes that gets down to the true grittiness of parenting.
A bit about our hosts:
Paula Pridham is the executive director at Care for the Family, she oversees our support work for parents, couples and those bereaved. Paula has represented the charity in a number of national forums and consultations on family life, such as Occupational Standards for Parent Support Workers and the RSE curriculum for schools.
Mark Chester is the founder of Who Let The Dads Out? and Care for the Family’s parent support manager. He has written books about fatherhood and football and has spoken to thousands of people across the world.
Episode 1 - Sex and pornography
In this first episode, hosts Paula and Mark discuss what we can do if our teenagers are viewing porn, or sleeping around. They are joined by special guests Jason and Karin.
Jason Royce is the Director of Souster Youth Trust and has over 20 years’ experience helping parents navigate the tough challenges of raising kids.
Karin Cooke is a trained childcare social worker and author of Dangerous Honesty, a book looking at the impact of pornography on women.
Parents Protect
Help parents and carers protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
Helpline: 0808 1000 900
parentsprotect.co.uk
Think U Know
Help children, young people, parents and professionals with advice about sex, relationships and the internet.
thinkuknow.co.uk
Naked Truth
Inform, educate and equip people to talk about and tackle the damaging impact of pornography.
thenakedtruthproject.com
Episode 2 - Drugs and alcohol
In episode two, hosts Paula and Mark lift the lid on drugs and alcohol in the family, addressing everything from experimenting with it, dealing it to others and where to get help, with guest speakers Sarah and Iain.
Sarah Brighton is the CEO of Hope UK, a national charity that has been equipping young people to make drug-free choices for more than 170 years.
Iain Macpherson is a fire fighter and builder. As a teenager he became heavily involved in a lifestyle that centred around drugs and alcohol but, with his parents’ support, he emerged and became a parent himself. Iain is married to Annie, and they have three children.
FRANK
Helpline: 0300 123 6600
Help, advice and honest information about drugs.
talktofrank.com
Hope UK
Equip young people to make drug free choices.
hopeuk.org
Adfam
Work to improve life for families affected by drugs and alcohol use.
adfam.org.uk
We Are With You
Provide confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.
wearewithyou.org.uk
Episode 3 - Aggression and violence
In the third episode, hosts Paula and Mark shed light on gangs, knife crime and physical violence inside and outside the home, with specialist advice from Nathan and Sabrina Dennis.
Nathan Dennis is a Youth & Community Consultant and founder of the First Class Foundation, which engages and supports young people who have traditionally been deemed hard to reach.
Sabrina Dennis is a community engagement specialist, CEO of the First Class Foundation and founder of Kitchen Table Talks, an innovative service that empowers parents, young people and their families.
Family Lives article: ‘Teen violence at home’
Relate article: ‘Teen aggression and violence’
Young Minds article: ‘Supporting your child with anger’
NHS article: ‘Teen aggression and arguments’
Relate article ‘My teenager has joined a gang’
NSPCC article ‘Criminal exploitation and gangs’
Parent Info article ‘Knife crime and if your child is in a gang: advice for parents’
Further support
For parents
Family Lives
Support for all areas of family life.
Helpline: 0808 800 2222 / askus@familylives.org.uk
familylives.org.uk
For teenagers
The Mix
Provide free, confidential support for young people under 25 via online, social and mobile.
Helpline: 0808 808 4994
themix.org.uk
Organisations for support in other areas
Young Minds
Advice for parents who may be concerned about their child’s mental health or emotional wellbeing.
youngminds.org.uk
Parent Info
A website giving support and guidance to parents covering all of the issues amplified by the internet.
parentinfo.org
Relate
Have a section of their website dedicated to parenting teenagers.
relate.org.uk
