CBeebies Parenting

Matrescence is the physical, psychological and emotional changes you go through after the birth of your child, but despite being coined over 50 years ago, it is a word many still don’t understand.
In this episode, Katie Thistleton and Guvna B explore how pregnancy and early parenthood can reshape the brain, alter priorities and change identity. They discuss why moving beyond the phrase ‘baby brain’ helps parents feel understood, and how recognising a real transition can change expectations at home, in friendships and at work.
BBC Health and Science Reporter Smitha Mundasad shares insight from the Be Mother project in Spain, which scanned the brains of 127 pregnant volunteers and found neurological changes in mothers-to-be. Smitha explored this in her documentary Baby Brain: What’s really going on?
Author, podcast host and Motherkind founder Zoe Blaskey shares her own experience of matrescence and the work she's been doing to raise awareness of these changes with other parents and businesses. She also sets matrescence as a life stage alongside adolescence, to frame it as a normal developmental process.
There is information and support for pregnancy related issues on the BBC Action Line website www.bbc.co.uk/actionline.
For more ideas and resources, visit the CBeebies Parenting website.
Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 022 4808

How do you fit movement and exercise into family life when you are tired, busy and juggling everything at once? Katie Thistleton and Guvna B explore realistic, low‑pressure ways to get active with your little ones. From five‑minute bursts at home to quick trips outside, the focus is on doing what you can, when you can, so everyone feels better.
Harry Aikines‑Aryeetey (Gladiators star Nitro) talks about keeping activity playful and letting children lead the way. He explains how becoming a parent shifted his motivation from performance to wellbeing and connection. Whether it is seizing a sunny hour after school to ride a new bike, turning a trampoline park into a family workout, or joining in alongside them at a class, his message is to take part and look for balance, even on busy days.
The nation’s PE teacher, Joe Wicks MBE, brings a short and doable outlook for parents who are pressed for time. He champions five‑minute resets, home workouts even in small spaces, and quick walks in fresh air that lift energy and mood. Exercise, he says, is a tool for patience as much as fitness, and he highlights the importance of encouraging active play for families, even when you do not feel in the mood.
For more ideas and resources on getting active and playing with your kids, visit the CBeebies Parenting website.
Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 022 4808

Parents often worry that their children just aren't ready to take the step up to school. Early years educator Christina Lydon takes questions on how to help kids start school with confidence.

For BBC AI Unpacked Week Katie Thistleton and Guvna B explore Artificial Intelligence chatbots, where they can genuinely help parents and when to be cautious, offering practical ideas to save time and stress while keeping human judgment at the centre.
Singer, songwriter and Grammy, BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winner Kamille shares how she uses AI to help organise her parenting life from navigating missed naps to managing her busy schedule.
BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman explains what AI chatbots are, how they work and why some people can become over reliant on them. Zoe recommends we use AI as a 'second brain' and gives expert advice on how to use this technology safely and effectively.
For more ideas and parenting resources, visit the CBeebies Parenting website.
Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 022 4808

Recorded in front of a live audience at London’s Natural History Museum, this bonus episode brings Katie Thistleton and Guvna B together with CBeebies legend, Andy Day, research psychologist and founder of the Good Play Guide, Dr Amanda Gummer, and celebrity parents, Olivia and Alex Bowen.
The group share playful childhood memories: from Olivia’s forest dens to Alex’s love of drawing, Andy’s dinosaur games with his brothers and Dr Amanda’s board game evenings with her grandparents, setting the scene for how early experiences shape the way we play with children today.
They explore why play can feel difficult to prioritise, how busy routines add pressure and why even short bursts of focused attention can help little ones learn. The guests talk openly about finding ideas in everyday life, whether that’s outdoor time, quick imaginative games or playful routines inspired by children’s favourite shows.
This bonus episode offers reassurance that play does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. For more ideas and resources, visit the CBeebies Parenting website.
Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 022 4808