No Parental Guidance

The powerhouse that is Fatima Whitbread MBE joins us on the sofa this week! From being abandoned as a baby and surviving the care system, to conquering the world as an Olympic javelin thrower, Fatima’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. She opens up about how her javelin teacher (and later adoptive mum) Margaret changed her life, her grueling 3-round IVF journey to motherhood, what it’s really like competing on 'I'm A Celeb' (yes, she brought the infamous nose-cockroach) and why tough love and boundaries are the ultimate parenting superpowers. Plus, we’re talking about the new social media ban for under-16s, a very relatable (and messy!) potty training fail, and why prioritizing your own fitness as a mum is essential for your mental health. THANK A TEACHER WITH TESCO! Fatima’s incredible story started because a teacher went above and beyond. Do you have a teacher you want to thank? We’ve partnered with Tesco to support National Thank a Teacher Day! Nominate an amazing teacher today and your school could win an exclusive Tesco Fruit and Veg Grant worth £1,000 for fresh, healthy snacks! Get your entries in before the 1st of July at: https://thankateacher.co.uk/ SUPPORT FATIMA’S CAMPAIGN To find out more about Fatima's incredible work with young people in care and how you can support, visit http://fatimascampaign.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We finally did it! Our very first LIVE recording of No Parental Guidance with a community of mums and all because of Tea and Toast! After our "Tea and Toast" reel went viral, we realised two things: 1) Hospital toast is a spiritual experience, and 2) Way too many of you were robbed of yours! We gathered a room full of amazing women to celebrate International Women's Day and Mother's Day by doing what we do best; sharing the absolute chaos of motherhood. From "severing yourself in half" to sucking snot out of a babies nose, no topic was off-limits. Warning TMI ahead. We discused pregnancy cravings from eating pounds of cheese to craving the smell of exhaust fumes. There's a public apology from Louise to her sister sat in the audience, talk of a butt-naked run through M&S, and the "behind the sofa" poo incident. We started this podcast because there is no such thing as a perfect parent. We are all just "walking fails" trying to find our village. Whether you're a "Cheddar" mum, a "Spag Bol" mum, or a "farted on a stranger on a plane" mum, you belong here. Did you get your tea and toast? What was your first post-birth meal? Tell us your most embarrassing "Parenting Fail" in the comments! :point_down: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by the brilliant Lou Beckett. Writer, former teacher, mum of two and author of Lessons from a Default Parent. And yes… this is a birth story for the ages. From going 2cm to 10cm in under two hours, to meconium panic and Rob taking his trousers off in the delivery room (no one asked him to), it’s chaotic from start to finish. But this episode goes way beyond labour. We talk about what it really means to be the default parent. Not just the mental load, the constant assumption of responsibility. The invisible admin. The tabs open in your brain at all times. The resentment that builds when your partner gets to leave the house and stay the person they’ve always been, while you’re at home wondering where your identity went. Lou opens up about leaving teaching while battling ulcerative colitis, PCOS and endometriosis, becoming the default parent almost overnight, and the quiet loss of self that can come with it. We get into the baby massage argument that perfectly sums up early motherhood, the Harvard sleep stats that prove mums are running on fumes, and why sometimes you just need your partner to say the words: you’re the most tired. There’s car naps outside nursery. School gate burping competitions. Accidentally driving into your own house because you’re that exhausted. A debate about bringing back 80s parenting. And the slow, delicious art of fact-checking your husband via his own podcast. It’s funny, brutally honest and deeply relatable. If you’ve ever felt like the CEO of your family, booked a baby class you instantly regretted, or wondered how you can love your kids more than anything and still miss your old life… this one’s for you. Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@NoParentalGuidance?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no_parental_guidance/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@noparentalguidancepod No Parental Guidance is the unfiltered, laugh-out-loud parenting podcast that cuts through impossible standards with honesty, chaos and empathy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by the brilliant Jordan Banjo. Diversity icon, radio host, two-time jungle campmate and dad of three who is not afraid to overshare. From panic-laughing at a positive pregnancy test to getting a vasectomy from a man called Dr Acorn, this episode is honest, chaotic and absolutely hilarious. Jordan takes us back to becoming a dad at 24. No plan. No friends with kids. No clue. He opens up about laughing for 20 minutes when he found out his wife was pregnant, refusing to talk about it for two months, and the guilt he feels now looking back. He talks about reflux, feeling disconnected in those early months, and the pressure to instantly “bond” when actually what he felt first was responsibility… not fireworks. We get into the reality of juggling a 3am breakfast radio alarm with three young kids. The night wake-ups. The teamwork. The falling asleep at 8.15pm mid-series. The dad guilt when tour dates clash with school runs. The moment he accidentally sighed when his son tried to talk to him and immediately wanted the ground to swallow him whole. There’s also a terrifying hospital story when his youngest became septic at just a few months old. The instinct his wife had that something wasn’t right. The fear. The viral meningitis diagnosis. And the reminder that sometimes you have to be the “annoying parent” and ask every question. And yes, we talk about the vasectomy. The lockdown cancellation. The honeymoon surprise pregnancy. The airport test in Doha. The shrivel. The tape. The swelling. The Spider-Man moment. Nothing is off limits. We also hear about doing I’m A Celebrity twice, crumbling the first time, coming back stronger the second, and cutting his honeymoon short while secretly panicking about an early pregnancy scan back home. It’s funny, raw and refreshingly honest about the bits dads don’t always say out loud. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, guilty, exhausted, terrified you’re doing it wrong, or laughed inappropriately in a life-changing moment… this one’s for you. Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@NoParentalGuidance?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no_parental_guidance/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@noparentalguidancepod No Parental Guidance is the unfiltered, laugh out loud parenting podcast that cuts through impossible standards with honesty, chaos and empathy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by the brilliant Ashley James. TV presenter, DJ, author of Bimbo, mum of two and a fierce advocate for women rewriting the rules. From lockdown love stories to parenting reality checks, this episode is packed with honesty, humour and a few very relatable fails. Ashley takes us back to meeting her partner on Hinge, moving in just before the world shut down, and finding herself pregnant only months into a new relationship. She opens up about becoming a mum when she wasn’t even sure she liked kids and the resentment that crept in when her partner went back to work. We get into the double standards that follow women everywhere. The labels like nag, ball buster and frigid. The pressure to shrink yourself to be liked. The way dads get praised for changing a nappy while mums carry the mental load without applause. Ashley explains why she refuses to accept mum guilt until there’s a collective term for dad guilt. The conversation also dives into body image. From her Made in Chelsea days and chasing perfection, to battling adult acne, quitting Photoshop and the Victoria’s Secret show moment that changed everything. It’s a powerful reminder of how deeply women are conditioned to hate their bodies, and what it takes to unlearn that. Of course, there’s plenty of chaos too. Pregnancy bloating confessions. Breastfeeding myths that are not true. Postpartum sex realities. Finger puppets during lockdown when you used to be DJing festivals. School detention drama involving a pen running out and an accidental ChatGPT email fail. Playground slide mishaps. WhatsApp group disasters. Sparkly tutu outfits for nursery. The everyday madness of raising small humans. Ashley shares how she’s parenting differently, raising her children without outdated stereotypes, and learning to be calmer with milestones the second time around. It’s warm, witty and completely unfiltered. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, judged, exhausted, resentful, in love, proud and slightly feral all in the same day, this one is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices