Mothering four Autistic children while being Autistic yourself, with Amanda McGuinness
My guest this week is Amanda McGuinness from LittlePuddins.ie. Amanda is a truly inspiring voice in the parenting community and a powerful advocate for autism acceptance and understanding. Amanda is a mum of four beautiful children, all of whom are neurodivergent, and her journey into the world of neurodiversity has shaped not only her family’s life but also the lives of so many others who follow and learn from her. Through her blog, her Instagram presence, and the incredible visual resources she’s created, Amanda brings honesty, heart, and hope to conversations that can sometimes feel overwhelming. She’s not afraid to talk about the hard days, the big emotions, and the small wins, and she does it all with such empathy, as she is a woman with autism herself. In this episode, Amanda shares so much about her family experience, from those early days of diagnosis to building a platform that now supports thousands of families across Ireland and beyond. We talk about parenting, advocacy, inclusion, and the beauty of seeing the world through a different lens. So whether you're navigating your own neurodivergent parenting path, or simply looking to better understand the autistic experience, this episode is a great one. Back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Raising self-compassionate children with Louise Shanagher
My guest this week is author and mindfulness educator Louise Shanagher. Louise is also the founder of the Creative Mindfulness method, a programme that introduces mindfulness and self-compassion to children through creative activities like storytelling, art, and meditation. She has authored several children's books, and through her Creative Mindfulness Practitioner Training, has introduced mindfulness practices to tens of thousands of people, reflecting her deep passion for sharing that important knowledge. We talk about how mindfulness has evolved over the years, how it can now apply to and be used by children and young people, and how to equip children with lifelong self-care tools. I don't know about you, but I was terrified by the recent Netflix series Adolescence, and speaking to Louise gave me confidence that with the right tools, you can raise a self-compassionate and self-aware child who knows their parents are there as a safety net for them no matter what. Louise is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to how to speak to young children in a way that is understandable but effective too. Louise's latest book, Growing Self-Compassionate Children, is available now should you want to know more. A really practical episode, I know you'll love this one. I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Your thoughts are not your actions, and healing from trauma with Emma Flynn
This week, I spoke to returning guest Emma Flynn. Emma was first on the podcast with the lovely Sinead more than three years ago, but her story was so compelling and so important that I wanted to catch up with her and see how things are for her now. Emma's story can be difficult to hear and can be triggering, so if you're a new mam or in a particularly sensitive place, just use caution and take care when listening. Now a mother of three, when Emma's first child, Jack was born, she went through the darkest and scariest moments of her life. She felt she didn't love her son, but worse, she felt the only way through her suffering was to hurt herself and her baby. With help from medication, her therapist, her husband and her supportive family, she managed to survive through it and go on to have two more children, and to absolutely adore all three of them. She has an incredibly supportive online community too where sharing her story has helped (and will continue to help) so many people going through similar but afraid to talk about it. We spoke about finding healing, her return to faith and how she is now, several years on from those traumatic days. It was a tough episode to record but so worthwhile. I'll be back next week, speak to you then. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:01:06
"You just wait!" and other advice no pregnant person wants to hear, with Niamh O'Sullivan
The lovely Niamh O'Sullivan is my guest this week, and although I've known Niamh for a good few years, and she's always radiant, she was absolutely GLOWING with the joy that only arrives when you're expecting your first baby. At the time of recording, Niamh is about half way through her pregnancy, and she's just now coming out of the horrendous sickness she endured for almost the whole first half... which I can identify with, and that's something literally anyone who listens to this podcast will know, as I never shut up about it. Niamh and I discuss the perils of pregnancy Googling, how sometimes you DON'T want the gory birth stories and how the phrase "You just wait!" is Niamh's biggest peeve. We talk about birth plans (or the lack thereof) and feeling nervous about birth, but it's clear that Niamh is just thrilled to be about to welcome her baby to the world. I can't wait to have her back on after she has her little angel to talk all things fourth trimester. Enjoy this, and I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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53:05
Having children doesn't mean you stop following your passion, with sports star Louise Galvin
I absolutely LOVED this week's episode. Not only was Louise Galvin extremely sound to chat to and I left wanting to be her pal, she was so open and honest and candid about how she and her husband manage parenting. Louise, for those unfamiliar, is one of Ireland's most successful sports stars – playing at senior level with the Kerry football team, playing in the Rugby 7s World Cup AND as the captain of a National Cup winning basketball team. She probably made GAA history when, following one of her particularly important semi-final matches, Louise ran off the pitch to breastfeed her baby just as the final whistle blew, making her the first player to breastfeed in the dressing rooms at Croke Park. Louise has a three year old son and twin babies who are not even five months yet, and she's making sure she makes time to be match fit to catch the end of the football season. I for one was in awe listening to her tell me all this, while she was just taking it totally in her stride, making it clear that she doesn't get mam guilt because she knows her sport is an important part of who she is and an important example to set for her three children. I think you will love this episode as much as I did – and I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet everymum… discover Ireland's largest parenting community with over half a million followers across social and email channels. Hosted by Aisling Keenan, everymum the podcast promises to talk about the parts of motherhood we just don't hear enough about.Reassuring words, support on your motherhood journey, and authentic honest chat. everymum is here to let you know that you’ve got this, even when you feel like you don’t!Insane highs to anxious lows, we're here to remind you that every pregnancy, birth, baby and mum is unique, and every feeling along the way is completely valid.#everymumthepodcast is sponsored by WaterWipes - the no. 1 baby wipe in Ireland. Their wipes are made with simply two ingredients, 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. Together, we are committed to reassuring and supporting parents.Register with everymum today, and pick up your free gift bag, worth over €45 and packed with products, information and samples! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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