Parenting can be joyful, exhausting, confusing and overwhelming, sometimes all within the same day.
In this episode of the Outdoor Learning Podcast, Sarah Seaman speaks with parenting expert, broadcaster and author Sue Atkins about raising happy, confident and resilient children.
Sue offers practical parenting advice without blame, judgement or finger-pointing. The conversation recognises that parents are often trying to make good decisions while managing busy lives, conflicting advice, work pressures and the everyday emotional demands of family life.
Sarah and Sue discuss the importance of confidence, connection, communication and creating a happy childhood. They also explore how simple experiences, including spending time outside together, can help families slow down, reconnect and enjoy one another’s company.
The episode is suitable for parents, carers, teachers, family-support workers, childminders and professionals who work closely with children and families.
Explore our Outdoor Play Hub, discover practical support in our Early Years Outdoor Learning Hub and listen to more episodes of Let’s Talk All Things Muddy!
Listen to Let’s Talk Parenting with Sue Atkins now
Who Is Sue Atkins?
Sue Atkins is a parenting expert, broadcaster and author with more than 40 years of experience in education and family life. She supports parents with practical approaches intended to create greater confidence, clarity and calm within family life. Sue is also President of Montessori UK. (Sue Atkins The Parenting Coach)
Her work covers many of the challenges parents face, from toddler behaviour and family routines to anxiety, technology, school pressures and supporting children as they grow.
Sue’s approach is warm, realistic and focused on helping parents trust themselves.
Rather than expecting parents to be perfect, she helps them think about the relationships, routines and responses that can make family life feel more manageable.
In this Muddy Puddle Teacher® podcast episode, Sue offers practical guidance for raising happy, confident and resilient children and creating positive childhood experiences without making parents feel criticised or judged. (Muddy Puddle Teacher)
Parenting Advice Without Guilt
Parents are surrounded by advice.
Social media, parenting books, school messages, family opinions and online discussions can all suggest that there is one correct way to raise a child.
This can leave parents feeling that they are constantly getting something wrong.
Sue’s approach moves away from shame and comparison. Instead, she encourages parents to focus on their own child, family circumstances and values.
Children do not need a perfect parent.
They need adults who are willing to listen, reconnect after difficult moments and provide dependable love and boundaries.
There will be days when routines fall apart, patience runs low or everyone becomes overwhelmed. One difficult morning does not define a parent or a childhood.
Positive parenting is not about creating a permanently calm and conflict-free home. It is about developing relationships in which children feel safe, valued and able to learn from challenges.
Explore our Outdoor Wellbeing Ideas for Families for simple ways to create calmer shared moments.
Helping Children Become Confident
Confidence does not mean that a child is always outgoing, fearless or willing to perform in front of others.
A confident child begins to believe that they are capable, valued and able to cope when something feels difficult.
Parents can support confidence by allowing children to try, make mistakes and solve manageable problems.
When adults immediately step in, children may begin to believe they cannot manage without help. When adults provide encouragement and suitable support, children can experience the satisfaction of working something out.
This might mean allowing a toddler time to put on their own shoes, encouraging a child to speak to a shop assistant or giving an older child some responsibility for organising their belongings.
The aim is not to leave children unsupported.
It is to offer enough help for them to succeed without taking over every task.
Outdoor play can be particularly helpful because it gives children opportunities to make decisions, test ideas and develop physical confidence.
Visit our Outdoor Activities for Building Children’s Confidence for more practical ideas. The podcast can also complement formal Early Years Outdoor Learning Training, whole-school development and The Muddy Puddle Teacher® online courses.
Raising Resilient Children
Resilience is the ability to cope with difficulty, recover from setbacks and keep moving forward.
It does not mean that children should hide their emotions or simply “toughen up.”
Children develop resilience when they experience manageable challenges while knowing that supportive adults are nearby.
They need opportunities to feel disappointed, frustrated or uncertain and then discover that these feelings can pass.
A child may struggle to build something, lose a game or find a new activity difficult. Adults can acknowledge the feeling without immediately removing the challenge.
Instead of saying, “It doesn’t matter,” an adult might say, “I can see that you are disappointed. What could we try next?”
This helps the child feel understood while encouraging them to think about a possible next step.
Outdoor experiences can naturally support resilience. Weather changes, structures fall over, games need to be renegotiated and ideas do not always work the first time.
These small, real experiences allow children to practise persistence in a meaningful way.
The Importance of Connection
Children are more likely to cooperate, communicate and manage difficult emotions when they feel connected to the adults caring for them.
Connection does not require elaborate days out or expensive activities.
It can happen during a walk, while preparing food, through a shared joke or during a short conversation before bedtime.
Children notice when adults are genuinely present.
Modern family life can make this difficult. Phones, work, school responsibilities and household tasks constantly compete for attention.
Parents do not need to remove every distraction for an entire day.
A few minutes of focused attention can make a meaningful difference.
This might involve putting a phone away during a walk, following the child’s play idea or listening without immediately correcting or advising.
Connection builds through ordinary moments repeated over time.
Why Outdoor Time Can Help Family Relationships
Going outside can create a change in atmosphere.
Children have more room to move, adults may feel less pressure to organise entertainment and conversations can happen naturally while everyone is doing something together.
Families do not need to travel to a forest or visitor attraction.
A walk around the local area, time in the garden, a visit to a playground or ten minutes drawing with chalk can create a valuable shared experience.
Outdoor time may help families step away from screens and household distractions.
It can also give children a physical way to release energy after school or during emotionally demanding days.
For some children, talking while walking side by side feels easier than sitting down for a formal conversation.
Outdoor time is not a cure for every parenting challenge. However, it can provide a more relaxed setting for connection, movement and shared enjoyment.
Discover simple ideas in our Outdoor Activities for Families and Parents’ Guide: How to Get Your Child Outside More.
Discover more through our Early Years Outdoor Play Resources and Outdoor Continuous Provision Ideas.
Children Need Boundaries as Well as Freedom
Positive parenting does not mean allowing children to do anything they choose.
Children need clear, dependable boundaries.
Boundaries help children understand what is safe, acceptable and expected. They can also reduce anxiety because children know where the limits are.
The way a boundary is communicated matters.
Shouting, threatening or humiliating a child may create immediate compliance, but it does not necessarily help the child understand what to do differently.
Clear language is often more effective.
An adult might say, “I will not let you hit,” followed by support to move away, calm down and find another way to communicate.
A boundary can be firm and kind at the same time.
Adults may also need to repeat boundaries many times. Children are still developing impulse control, communication and emotional regulation.
Consistency does not mean responding like a robot. It means keeping the central message dependable even when the situation changes.
Talking So Children Feel Heard
Listening to a child does not mean agreeing with everything they say.
It means taking their experience seriously.
Adults sometimes move quickly towards reassurance or solutions. A child says they are worried, and the adult immediately explains why they do not need to worry.
Although the intention is kind, the child may feel dismissed.
Begin by acknowledging what the child has communicated.
You might say, “That sounds difficult,” or, “I can see why you felt upset.”
Once the child feels heard, they may be more ready to consider what could help.
Some children communicate best while drawing, playing or walking. Others need time before they can explain what has happened.
Parents and professionals can create opportunities for communication without demanding an immediate answer.
Explore our SEND Daily Journal and Outdoor Emotional Reflection Activities for additional ways to support children who find verbal communication difficult.
Managing Big Feelings
Children are not born knowing how to manage strong emotions.
They rely on adults to help them understand what they are feeling and what they can do next.
When a child is highly distressed, long explanations and repeated questions may make the situation harder.
The first priority is safety and regulation.
The adult can remain nearby, use calm language and reduce unnecessary demands.
Once the child feels calmer, the situation can be revisited.
This is when adults can help name the emotion, talk about what happened and consider what might help next time.
Children also learn from watching adults.
Parents do not need to hide every emotion, but it can be helpful to model healthy responses.
An adult might say, “I am feeling frustrated, so I am going to pause and take a breath.”
This shows children that emotions are normal and can be managed without harming others.
Free Level 1 Outdoor Learning Course.
Parenting in a Digital World
Technology is now part of family life.
Phones, tablets, games and online platforms can offer entertainment, creativity, communication and learning. They can also create conflict and make it harder for families to disconnect.
Parents may feel guilty about screen time while also relying on screens to manage work, cooking, travel or the demands of caring for several children.
A realistic approach is more helpful than shame.
Families can consider when technology is useful, when it begins to interfere with sleep or relationships and which boundaries are manageable.
Outdoor time can provide a natural alternative, but it should not always be presented as a punishment for using technology.
Children are more likely to engage when outdoor experiences are enjoyable and connected to their interests.
A child who enjoys gaming might create an outdoor obstacle course based on a game. A child who likes photography could take pictures of interesting shapes, textures or signs.
The aim is not to create a battle between technology and nature.
It is to develop a healthier balance.
Supporting Parents Rather Than Judging Them
Parenting takes place within real circumstances.
Families may be managing financial pressure, additional needs, illness, separation, work demands, limited outdoor space or a lack of wider support.
Advice that ignores these realities can make parents feel worse.
Professionals working with families should begin with curiosity rather than assumptions.
Instead of asking why a parent has not followed a suggestion, consider what barrier may be getting in the way.
A parent may understand the value of outdoor play but live in a flat without a garden, work long hours or care for a child who finds outdoor environments overwhelming.
Useful support is flexible and practical.
A five-minute walk, an open window for listening to sounds or a simple chalk activity near the front door may be a more realistic starting point than an ambitious family nature day.
Sue’s work focuses on helping parents build confidence and practical strategies rather than adding to feelings of failure. (Sue Atkins The Parenting Coach)
Try This Tomorrow
Choose ten minutes when your child does not need to be rushed.
Go outside together and allow them to choose the direction of the activity.
They might walk, collect natural objects, kick a ball, draw with chalk or simply sit and talk.
Put your phone away unless you need it for safety.
Try not to turn the experience into a lesson or ask constant questions.
Notice what your child chooses and follow their lead.
Time: ten minutes.
Preparation: none or very low.
Best for: connection, communication, confidence and shared enjoyment.
The activity does not need to be impressive.
The important part is the calm, focused time together.
Using This Podcast with Parents and School Communities
This episode can be shared by schools, nurseries, family hubs and parent-support groups.
It can provide a useful starting point for conversations about confidence, resilience, communication and family relationships.
Schools could share the episode through a newsletter or use part of it within a parent workshop.
Practitioners might invite parents to identify one idea that feels helpful rather than presenting a long list of things they should change.
The episode can also support staff reflection.
Teachers and early years professionals communicate with parents every day. The language used during these conversations can either build confidence or leave families feeling judged.
A respectful partnership recognises that parents hold valuable knowledge about their children.
Free Level 1 Outdoor Learning Course.
Listen to Let’s Talk Parenting with Sue Atkins
This episode provides a warm and reassuring conversation about raising happy, confident and resilient children.
Sue Atkins shares practical guidance that supports parents rather than blaming them.
The discussion reminds us that family life does not need to look perfect to be loving, secure and meaningful.
Small moments of attention, clear boundaries and genuine connection can make a significant difference.
Free Level 1 Outdoor Learning Course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sue Atkins?
Sue Atkins is a parenting expert, broadcaster and author with more than 40 years of experience in education and family life. She provides practical guidance designed to help parents raise confident and resilient children. (Sue Atkins The Parenting Coach)
What is the Sue Atkins podcast episode about?
The episode explores parenting, confidence, resilience, happy childhoods and practical ways adults can support children without relying on guilt or judgement. (Muddy Puddle Teacher)
Is this episode only for parents?
No. It is also relevant to teachers, teaching assistants, childminders, family-support professionals and anyone who works closely with children and families.
How can outdoor play support family wellbeing?
Outdoor play can give children space to move and provide families with relaxed opportunities to communicate, cooperate and spend focused time together.
Do families need a garden for outdoor learning?
No. Families can use local parks, pavements, courtyards, playgrounds, balconies or any safe outdoor space available to them.
Author Box
Written by Sarah Seaman PGCE MA
Founder of The Muddy Puddle Teacher®
Teacher for over 19 years
Bloomsbury author
Trainer of thousands of teachers across the UK
