How to be a Calm Parent with Sarah Ockwell-Smith

03/31/22 • 54 min

My guest today is Sarah Ockwell-Smith, one of the world's leading parenting experts, having written 13 books and sold half a million copies. Her philosophy of gentle parenting is hugely influential in the motherhood WhatsApp groups of Great Britain and her latest book ‘How To Be a Calm Parent’ has as much to tell us about how to look after ourselves, as it does about how to look after our kids.

In this episode we talk about how to be calm, self-kindness and why being a busy parent isn't actually something to be proud of.

Sarah mentions seven principles of being a calm parent in her book. I asked her about the first one, which is everybody can be a calm parent or a calmer parent:

The number of parents I meet who believe that you're calm or you're not, they kind of view calmness as a fixed trait. So they'll look and think, "well, other people are calm". I'm not calm. It's kind of not worth me trying. So they're very much in the fixed mindset that calmness is something you have or you don't have. And if they don't have it, then it's not really worth trying. You know, that's not how they were born.

But I really and truly don't believe that's true. I believe that everybody can be calmer. There are obviously things that get in our way. So what's happening in their life at the moment, depending on the sort of certain amounts of privilege you have and whatever, we can't all be like zen-calm gurus, but we can definitely improve on where we are at the moment.

✔ Links:

Sarah Ockwell-Smith on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sarahockwellsmith/

Sarah Ockwell-Smith on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheBabyExpert

Sarah Ockwell-Smith:

https://sarahockwell-smith.com/

Sarah Ockwell-Smith’s books:

https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Ockwell-Smith/e/B007L3YENI%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

Edited by Pavel Novikov:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavelnovikovf/

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we talk about how to be calm, self-kindness and why being a busy parent isn't actually something to be proud of.

Sarah mentions seven principles of being a calm parent in her book. I asked her about the first one, which is everybody can be a calm parent or a calmer parent:

The number of parents I meet who believe that you're calm or you're not, they kind of view calmness as a fixed trait. So they'll look and think, "well, other people are calm". I'm not calm. It's kind of not worth me trying. So they're very much in the fixed mindset that calmness is something you have or you don't have. And if they don't have it, then it's not really worth trying. You know, that's not how they were born.

But I really and truly don't believe that's true. I believe that everybody can be calmer. There are obviously things that get in our way. So what's happening in their life at the moment, depending on the sort of certain amounts of privilege you have and whatever, we can't all be like zen-calm gurus, but we can definitely improve on where we are at the moment.

✔ Links:

Sarah Ockwell-Smith on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sarahockwellsmith/

Sarah Ockwell-Smith on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheBabyExpert

Sarah Ockwell-Smith:

https://sarahockwell-smith.com/

Sarah Ockwell-Smith’s books:

https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Ockwell-Smith/e/B007L3YENI%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

Edited by Pavel Novikov:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavelnovikovf/

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Previous Episode

Man Down with Matt Rudd

My guest today is Matt Rudd. Matt is a writer, columnist and deputy editor of The Sunday Times Magazine. He's also the author of several books, his latest being ‘Man Down: Why Men Are Unhappy and What We Can Do About It’.

In this episode, we talk about mental health, shared parental leave and taking paternity leave more seriously. We talk about the trap of busyness and why you're better off with a bronze medal than a silver one and much more. Matt's book 'Man Down' is entertaining and thoughtful just as you'll find Matt.

Special thanks to Little, Brown Book Group.

✔ Links:

Matt Rudd at The Sunday Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/matt-rudd?page=1

Matt Rudd on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MattRudd

Buy 'Man Down':

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matt-Rudd/e/B003VN5B20%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Next Episode

Ethical Business with Dave Linton

My guest today is Dave Linton. Dave is a former youth worker turned entrepreneur who started Madlug in 2015 with less than 500 quid, and the company has won hearts and wallets with its cool backpacks. Each product sold allows the company to donate a similar item to a young person in the foster care system.

In this episode, Dave explains why it's so important for kids in care to receive these bags. We talk about kindness, leadership, and meeting Richard Branson.

Listen to the full episode to know more!

✔ Links:

Madlug:

https://www.madlug.com/

https://www.madlugyourbusiness.com/

Dave Linton on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-linton/

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com

Useful links: