
Teaching Bravery in Children with Dr Mary O’Kane
From The Mind Full Podcast by Dermot Whelan
April 26, 2026 · 46 min · Season 5 · Episode 9
About this episode
Dermot Whelan discusses parenting and raising resilient children with Dr Mary O’Kane.
In this episode of The Mind Full Podcast , I sit down with the wonderful Dr Mary O’Kane to talk about what it really means to raise brave, resilient kids - and why “perfect” parenting isn’t the goal. If you’ve ever found yourself negotiating with a toddler before 7am or questioning every decision you make, you’re in good company. Mary, author of Perfectly Imperfect Parenting , gently challenges the idea that we need to correct our children’s behaviour, and instead invites us to connect with what’s really going on underneath. We chat about tantrums, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and why neither kids nor adults can simply “calm down” on demand. I absolutely loved this conversation. Mary brings such warmth, humour, and deep understanding to both parents and children. If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”, this episode might help you be a little more patient - and a lot kinder to yourself. For more information on Dr Mary O’Kane and her fantastic work, books and more, visit www.drmaryokane.ie . If you're new to the series, why not take the time to go back and catch up on the wonderful interviews that you may have missed! Visit www.dermotwhelan.com for more information and…
People in this episode
Host: Dermot Whelan
Guest: Dr Mary O’Kane
Topics covered
- parenting
- bravery
- resilience
- emotional health
- child behavior
Keywords
- parenting
- bravery
- resilience
- tantrums
- anxiety
- emotional overwhelm
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: www.drmaryokane.ie, www.dermotwhelan.com
Products: Busy and Wrecked
Books & works: Perfectly Imperfect Parenting
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