ITVBE's First Time Mum Ferne McCann: Conscious Parenting
Exploring Conscious Parenting on ITVBE’s First Time Mum with Ferne McCann
This week on ITVBE’s First Time Mum, I joined Dancing on Ice star Ferne McCann to discuss conscious parenting and provide support for her daughter, Sunday.
As is often the case in television, only a short segment of our three-hour conversation made it to air. Viewers might be left wondering, “What is conscious parenting, and how can I implement it in my own parenting journey?”
To learn more about conscious parenting, you can read this article. In the following sections, I will share insights from my time filming with Ferne and Sunday.
Supporting Ferne McCann with Conscious Parenting Techniques for Her Daughter Sunday
During our three-hour session, we discussed conscious parenting. We explored how our upbringing influences our parenting styles. We also spent time playing in Sunday’s playroom, focusing on meaningful interactions during play.
The Importance of Play in Parenting
Many parents want their children to play independently so they can take a break. However, spending just 5 to 10 minutes playing with our kids has numerous benefits. When children ask us to play, they seek connection. They might not say, “I had a hard day; can you be with me?” Instead, they simply say, “Mummy/Daddy, will you play with me?” This invites us into their world.
While playing in Sunday’s playroom, we watched her create amazing structures, including a frozen tower. She focused intently on constructing it, showing her creativity. I encouraged Ferne to move away from blanket praise like “good job” or “that’s amazing.” Instead, I suggested she highlight specific aspects of Sunday’s creations, such as the colors, the design, and what she particularly liked about the tower. This approach fostered a meaningful dialogue between Sunday and Ferne, allowing Sunday to feel truly ‘seen’ and appreciated.
It was clear that Sunday enjoyed this quality time. It also gave Ferne a chance to step into Sunday’s world and understand her perspective. After about an hour, it became evident that Sunday was tired and needed some ‘down-regulating’ time.
As we looked at ways to help Sunday have some down regulating relax time (and a snack) myself and Ferne were able to sit and have a lengthy discussion about conscious parenting. You can watch a short snippet of our time together here.
“This process is worth it. I thought of it as an investment in myself and my family’s future, and my goal was simply to be a better parent, and I just didn’t have the skills, and this process provides that. The time investment is worth it, because you really get to work on the process, you get to explore your inner workings, you learn new skills. I would say if you feel called to do this process, there is a reason for that and I do not think you will regret it.” – Izzy. Washington.
