About

You’re Doing Better Than You Think You Are

Hello, I'm Rachel Richards, former BBC Correspondent, CNBC Europe World News Anchor and mum, on a mission to make parenting tweens and teens much less stressful, and even enjoyable.

Do you ever feel like you don’t know what you’re doing?

Firstly, have a big hug from me.

Secondly, you’re doing better than you think you are. No, really, you are. There’s too much talk about what a parent should be, and how we can optimise and perfect ourselves, and not enough about how well you’re coping in this complicated world as you hold your shizzle together.

I mean it, the most important message is that you CANNOT be perfect. You’re going to lose your rag, you’re going to get upset and say stupid things and make mistakes and hate your kids and your partner and your life from time to time.

Take it from me, if you’re going to worry about anything make it:

‘Am I being curious enough?’

Asking questions will get you everywhere as a parent of teenagers, and the place to do most of your practice is… yourself and your own thoughts and beliefs.

So, welcome, pull up a chair, drop your baggage, and make yourself comfortable. Let’s learn together.

A Little About Me:

I didn’t hit the ground running as a parent; actually I was stumbling, dragging a lot of baggage. Having done a PGDip in Broadcast Journalism at one of the top Uni's in the country I worked my way up to BBC Correspondent and World News Anchor for CNBC Europe. My work qualified me for finding out information, and talking a lot, but not understanding what happened when your house is full of small people you can’t control.

Before my current teens hit adolescence I read as many books as I could and volunteered for Parent Gym in inner-city London, where I coached parenting skills to people with kids between the ages of 3 and 12. I loved it because I probably learned as much from those parents as I taught them.

Being humble is the super power for parents that nobody ever tells you about. I felt like I was supposed to be the grown up and act like I knew everything. I’ve since realised that’s nonsense. Never feel embarassed about asking the stupid question or apologising for getting things wrong; I still do it all of the time and my kids are endlesly grateful for the tone I have set. It means they can get things wrong too without feeling ashamed, because they know we’re all trying to grow.

The Podcast:

A fellow mum begged me to start my podcast because she wanted someone she trusted to help her through the teen years, and I’ll be forever grateful to her because the journey has transformed my own parenting and benefited my family beyond imagination.

Here’s the good news, my podcast is free and you can learn everything I learned just by starting at the beginning and going through every episode.

If you want to go a bit faster then scroll through and pick subjects that cover what you need right now. If you can’t find what you want then message me and I’ll tell you which one will help you most. If it’s not something I’ve covered then I’m like a dog chasing a stick, so you’ll soon get your answers.

My main aim is to help you stop trying to be perfect, or comparing yourself and your kids with others. Your only real job is to focus on getting to know the amazing people you have in your life, loving them unconditionally, and showing them you believe they can do hard things.

Why sign up to my mailing list or subscribe to my Substack?

For those of you who want more, or who just want to help me feel like the pebbles I have dropped in the ocean of life are making a difference, why not join my paid community? You’ll get one-to-one support and printable PDF’s that give you the top tips from each podcast episode so you have your own little, bespoke manual.

ASK ME ANYTHING: I’m very busy behind the scenes reading everything so you don’t have to, and when you subscribe you have the chance to ask me anything. If I don’t know the answer I’ll head out like an eager truffle pig, ready to snuffle out the best for you.

COMMUNITY: I’ll be offering regular extras, including tips and thoughts, that help you tune into what matters.

All of the community notes, and tips, will remain available to paid subscribers. I want to make this more about fun and less about fear.

PDF NOTES: So many listeners say they have rewound the episodes to write down notes, well now there’s no need. Paid subscribers will have a weekly, downloadable, summary of the top tips from each episode, so you don’t have to take notes.

Please let me know if there are any old episodes for which you’d like the notes. I’m very happy to supply them.

POINTERS: Ask me if there’s something you’re struggling with, I can tell you which episode is most suitable for you, because there are a lot to trawl through.

About the Hosts

Rachel Richards

Host

I've worked as a BBC Correspondent, a World News Anchor for CNBC Europe and a Parenting Supercoach for Parent Gym, supporting parents in the most deprived boroughs of London.

I'm the mother of two bonus-daughters, now in their twenties, two teenagers, and married to the most amazing, but messy, man. I live in a Tudor house in the UK countryside, walk my two cockapoos daily and read voraciously.

My main purpose in making this podcast is my desire to break negative family cycles so I can understand and parent my own teens better.

I'm a lover of yoga, jogging, hiking, skiing, flying, reading, music, and all types of adventurous travel.

Originally born in Zambia, I'd lived in six different countries by the age of ten and thank my lucky stars to have settled in the UK.

Most of all I am loving the opportunity to give back for all the good fortune I've had in my life.

Susie Asli

Co-host

https://www.amindful-life.co.uk
Susie started practising mindfulness over a decade ago, after a particularly stressful time in her life. It was so effective that she decided to train in Mindfulness with the NHS and the Mindfulness in Schools project to become a Paws b and dot b practitioner, which enables her to teach mindfulness both to primary and secondary school children.

Susie teaches adult groups, 1:1s, families, in schools (children & teachers) and students (at the Guildhall College of Music & Drama).

She's also a qualified psychotherapist (from the Psychotherapeutic Institute in Copenhagen) and a trained musician (working and playing as a freelance viola player and chamber musician, as well as teaching children and adults).

Susie is mum to three children whom she has parented alone for 12 years