Author:Mariella Frostrup,Mariella Frostrup
Mariella Frostrup and guests debate the complex realities of parenting in today's Britain
Raising kids is a tricky business. We all want to do the best for our little darlings, but what exactly is 'best'? As the parenting wars escalate, and politicians and childcare gurus lock horns over the right way to bring up our children, Mariella Frostrup provides some much-needed perspective.
In these 11 episodes from the long-running BBC radio show Bringing Up Britain, she explores the dilemmas of 21st Century parenting, talking to ordinary families and a panel of guest experts to try and make sense of some big parenting questions. Can you boost your child's IQ? How do we help children feel happy? What's the best way to break bad news? And why is it so difficult to talk to kids about sex?
Whether you're looking for an alternative to yelling at children to get them to do what you want, wondering how to teach them about the value of money or battling with them over their bedrooms, help is here. From dealing with anxiety and aggression to helping kids make friends and become independent, Mariella and her guests have got the topic covered, offering advice, insight and a range of diverse views to guide you through the parenting labyrinth.
Presented by Mariella Frostrup
Edited by Philip Sellars
Episodes
How to Help Children Feel Happy
With Stella Duffy, Katharine Hill, Cristina Odone, Professor Stephen Scott
Produced by Mohini Patel
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 July 2017
Shouting at Children
With Jennie Bristow, Sue Gerhardt, Professor Stephen Scott
Produced by Sarah Taylor
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 April 2009
Boosting Your Child's IQ
With Sue Palmer, Dr Stuart Richie, Dr Sophie von Stumm, Hilary Wilce
Produced by Sarah Bowen
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 September 2015
Bedrooms and Battlegrounds
With Professor Russell Foster, Dr Sian Lincoln, Dr Pat Spungin, Simon Williams
Produced by Emma Kingsley
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 September 2012
Money Matters
With Dr Esther Dermott, Anna Foster, Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, Dr Rajiv Prabhaka
Produced by Emma Kingsley
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 January 2014
Breaking Bad News
With Erica Brown, Dr Cynthia Carter, Dr Aric Sigman, Jed Smith
Produced by Sarah Taylor
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 October 2010
Birds, Bees and Blushes
With Reg Bailey, Simon Blake, Viviane Green, Dr Jan Macvarish
Produced by Erin Riley
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 December 2011
Butting Out and Letting Go
With Dr Terri Apter, Dr Helene Guldberg, Deborah Orr, Matt Whyman
Produced by Erin Riley
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 January 2012
Dealing with Aggression
With Laverne Antrobus, Jane Griffiths, Seamus Oates, Tim Samuels, Debra Spencer
Produced by Julia Johnson
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 July 2018
The Fiendish World of Friendship
With Lydia Hartland-Rowe, Anna-May Mangan, Dr Sally Marlow, Liz Robinson
Produced by Philly Beaumont
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 August 2018
Generation Anxious
With Professor Tamsin Ford, Jane Caro, Tim Gill, Dr Kathy Weston
Produced by Katy Takatsuki
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 July 2019
As heartwarming as it is moving
—— Hello!Funny and moving
—— The ListWonderful. Expect an honest, humorous and heartwarming read
—— That's LifeIncluded in 'The best parenting books mums should read in 2020'
—— Mother & BabyGiovanna is a real one
—— Candice BrathwaiteGiovanna is a one-of-a-kind sort of person. She's genuine, talented, and well honestly? I just really like her
—— Rosie RamseyHer trademark humour and honesty remind us that positivity is key to making it as a mum... Giovanna knows there's no perfect way to parent - and that's why we will always love her!
—— OK!Whether you have little ones of your own or not, this honest, touching, wise and at times very funny book from mum, McFly wife and author Gi is a joy. Being this honest takes guts, and she does it with dignity, grace and incredible warmth.
—— HeatIf you're looking for no-nonsense health advice that's actually helpful, you can always count on Dr Joshua to cut through the weight, health and nutrition BS.
—— Caroline Dooner, author of The F*ck It Diet (@thefuckitdiet)Josh's position as an NHS Surgical Doctor in a landscape of Influencers spouting dietary misinformation has thousands flocking to his page to hear what he has to say.
—— Jessica Megan (@jess_megan_)He's an actual real life doctor, so I listen to what he says.
—— Miguel Barclay (@miguelbarclay)I love Dr Joshua Wolrich because of his no BS drive to make the world a better place. His advocacy mixed with his knowledge is wonderful.
—— Kenzie Brenna (@kenziebrenna)The nutrition world is a minefield of confusion, misinformation and competing and conflicting loud voices. Joshua brings a much-needed dose of reality to all this - calling out the nonsense, helping you steer away from the empty promises of fad diets and giving you the tools to once again have a healthy relationship with food, your body and life.
—— Dr Tim CroweA superb and shining achievement . . . Heavy Light is an odyssey for our times, full of hope in an uncertain future . . . a life-changing experience
—— Sue Brooks , Caught by the RiverI tore through Heavy Light, and haven't been able to stop thinking about it
—— Amy LiptrotUnforgettable
—— Rory Sullivan , iHoratio Clare, whose adventures in the Black Mountains, the Gulf of Bothnia, the Ethiopian Highlands, and the point in the Pacific Ocean furthest on earth from land, have made him one of the most brilliant travel writers of our day, takes us us now to that most challenging country, severe mental illness; and does so with such wit, warmth, and humanity, that, better acquainted with its terrors, we may better face our own
—— Reverend Richard ColesA remarkable tribute both to the depths of human compassion and Clare's extraordinary gifts as an author, witness and guide
—— Dan Richards , GeographicalLucid, fluent, utterly unembarrassed . . . a forensic, yet tender account of a plummet into insanity, treatment at the - frequently gentle - hands of the government health service, and eventual redemption . . . a sad, uplifting, timely book
—— Ed Peters , South China Morning PostHoratio Clare is a true adventurer and an English original - as vital as Chatwin, as endearing as Withnail. Even when writing about his own breakdown he does so with a poet's ear, brave journalistic insight and, crucially, no shortage of humour. Heavy Light is a white-knuckle descent whose transcendent theme of mania is timeless and universal
—— Benjamin MyersThe heart of the book is sincere and the linguistic skill exemplary. I can't think of a more astute way to begin the discussions about mental health that must begin than his analysis of how phrases like "I cracked up" or "I broke down"...can have very different meanings in different contexts
—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on SundayA fearless dive into the darks of the mind -- fiercely moving, ruthlessly honest and written with an exquisite care. It is a call for understanding that we all need to hear
—— Tom BulloughClare takes us inside his head in this profound, compelling account of acute mental illness, which is also a love letter to those who cared for and supported him. And as he recovers, Heavy Light turns into a heartfelt quest to understand what happened to him, and how we can heal those similarly afflicted. This book must have been terribly hard to write, but it feels so important he's done so
—— Caroline Sanderson , Bookseller (Book of the Month)Really moving... a call to reconsider treatment options for people who've had breakdowns
—— Free Thinking, BBC Radio 3Clare... recounts his recovery from that low ebb of mania with acute self-awareness, and in gentle, witty prose
—— Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2021*A harrowing, deeply moving and hugely informative story... it's powerful, unsettling and often shocking
—— Yorkshire PostEditor's Choice: It left me both nodding and groaning in recognition as well as reeling with empathy and admiration ... there's no doubting that all the pain and glory of birthing and nurturing new beings is wholeheartedly expressed here.
—— Alice O'Keefe , The BooksellerThe ecstasies, the agonies, the passion and the pain. Reading Clover Stroud is a whole body experience.
—— Polly SamsonAddresses what motherhood really feels like... She writes about raising five children with honesty and poignancy, revealing universal truths along the way.
—— Red MagazineStroud's warm and honest memoir is the take on parenting we all need. An unflinching look at how to hold on to your own personality when motherhood threatens to submerge it.
—— i NewspaperStroud’s clear-eyed look at how wildness and domesticity have entwined in her life is both heartening and inspiring.
—— Olivia LaingClover Stroud writes with such startling vivacity and honesty about motherhood, this book has its own heartbeat. It crackles with life - its messiness, darkness, and joy. I loved it.
—— Eve Chase, author Black Rabbit Hall and The Vanishing of Audrey WildeClover’s expertise is writing about family life in a way that feels both new and entirely familiar. How Clover talks about motherhood is very different to the ways you see it talked about – I think we’ve got two polarised narratives in media at the moment and she fuses them together to find this new place. She’s really put into words how I feel as a mother – that it is this intense, almost sickening, love, but it is also an absolute fear that you don’t ever know how you’d live without them. I really recommend My Wild and Sleepless Nights.
—— Pandora SykesHer descriptions leap off the page... It's the honesty that makes this book so compelling.
—— The SpectatorClover Stroud managed to write down all of the mania in one place, making me shed a tear and honk with laughter…she writes so eloquently about all we lose as well as gain through our children.
—— Emma Barnett , Good Housekeeping'Clover Stroud is a wonderful writer of the most colourful prose
—— ME+EM BookclubMy Wild and Sleepless Nights by Clover Stroud is a robust, raw and rare celebration of motherhood that had me laughing out loud one moment and crying the next.
—— Rachel Joyce , ObserverA captivating guide to the joys and terrors of motherhood.
—— Sunday Times best paperbacks of 2021An electrically candid memoir...raw, elemental and beautiful.
—— Daily Telegraph