Ep9. Can Mindful Parenting Really Make a Difference??

In this heartfelt conversation, Emily Fogg - mum, educator, and founder of Wise Owl Tuition - shares her journey from feeling stuck in power struggles and tantrums to discovering more calm and connection through mindful parenting.

We talk about her experience in the Mindful Parenting Coaching program, the changes she noticed in herself and her family, and how simple tools like the pause and playful connection helped her break free from overwhelm.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just feeling the chaos of family life, this episode offers practical inspiration to make a change.

You’ll Learn

• How small mindset shifts can transform your parenting

• Why it’s not about fixing your child’s behaviour - but working on your own calm first

• Practical tools for reducing tantrums, power struggles, and morning chaos

• How to bring fun, play, and connection into daily routines

• Why mindful parenting is a long game - and how to stay motivated.

Why This Episode Matters

Parenting is hard, especially when you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and like nothing you try is working.

Emily’s story is proof that you don’t have to do it perfectly - you just need small, consistent shifts.

This episode is a reminder that change is possible, even when life feels chaotic.

If you’ve been wondering if mindful parenting is worth it, Emily’s journey will give you hope, encouragement, and practical ideas you can try today.

Take Home Action

Try the “Pause and Reflect” technique this week:

When you feel your frustration rising, take one deep breath, pause, and ask yourself, “What’s really happening here?” 

It’s a small step that can make a big difference.

Take the Next Step

Want to explore how mindful parenting could help your family?

Book a free 15-minute discovery call with Nina to learn more about the Mindful Parenting Coaching program.

Let’s chat about your unique challenges and how we can work together.

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Wise Owl Tuition (Emily’s business):

• Free 15-Minute Discovery Call with Nina:

• Find out more about the Mindful Parenting Coaching Program

• Related Episodes:

  • Episode 3: The One Mindful Habit That Changes Everything

  • Episode 6: Parenting Path in Action: Mornings

Let’s Connect

Follow Nina on Instagram:

Have a question or want to chat? Send Nina a DM on Instagram or email: nina@mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au

About the Hosts

Nina Visic is a mindful parenting coach, mum of three boys, and the founder of Mindful Parenting Lifestyle.

With a background in teaching mindfulness to children and adults, and years of lived experience navigating the ups and downs of family life, Nina knows firsthand how hard parenting can feel.

After struggling with her own challenges - feeling overwhelmed, snapping at her kids, and wishing for a calmer home - Nina discovered mindful parenting and it changed everything.

Now, through 1:1 coaching, workshops, and her podcast Your Calm Parenting Path, Nina helps other parents build more connection, calm, and joy at home.

Her mission is to show parents that they don’t have to be perfect - just present - and that small, mindful shifts can make a big difference.

Emily Fogg is the founder of Wise Owl Tuition, an inclusive education service supporting children with learning differences like dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and autism.

As a mum of two young children, Emily knows firsthand the challenges of balancing family life, work, and parenting—especially during seasons of change and overwhelm.

Emily completed Nina’s Mindful Parenting Coaching program while parenting her four-year-old daughter, and halfway through, discovered she was pregnant with her second child. The tools and mindset shifts she gained helped her navigate tantrums, morning battles, and everyday chaos with more calm, connection, and confidence.

Now, she’s passionate about helping other parents support their children’s learning in practical, evidence-based ways—without adding stress or pressure to busy family life.

Transcript

Transcript

This transcript was created using Headliner. It has been copied and pasted but not proofread or edited, so it may contain errors or inaccuracies.

 Nina: You're listening to your calm parenting path. I'm your host, Nina, a mindful parenting coach and mum m here to help you go from overwhelmed and reactive to calm, confident and connected with your kids. This show is for parents who want to raise their children with more patience, less stress, and a whole lot more joy. Pick because small shifts make a big impact and you can build the parenting life you've always wanted. If you want to see what I'm up to, follow me on Instagram mindfulparenting lifestyle and don't forget to hit, follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Let's get started.

 Nina: Today's episode is a really special one because we are talking to someone who has walked the parenting path, someone who's been in the thick of it, navigating big feelings, daily chaos, and all the emotions that come with being a mum. Today I'm joined by the amazing Emily Fogg, founder of Wise Owl Tuition, a beautiful service that supports children with learning difficulties like dyslexia, ADHD and autism. Emily, um, is passionate about making learning accessible and engaging for all kids. But today she's not here in her professional capacity. Instead, she's here as a mum. Emily joined the Mindful Parenting coaching programme last year. She was parenting her three-year-old daughter and halfway through the programme discovered she was pregnant with her second child. It was a really big season of change and I'm so grateful she's here to talk about what that time was like, what drew her to the programme, and how she navigated parenting with more mindfulness and calm, even in the chaos. Emily, thank you so much for being here.

 Emily: Thanks so much for having me.

 Nina: It is very exciting, but let's start at the very beginning.

 Emily: Okay.

 Nina: Can you share a little bit about what was going on in your parenting life when you decided to join the mindful parenting coaching programmes? What were some of the challenges that you were facing?

 Emily: My, uh, had some kind of challenging behaviours or what I thought was challenging behaviours. It could just be age appropriate. Um, but we were really was having a lot of tantrums. We haven't getting into a lot of power struggles and I, you know, I didn't want to just revert to like smacking or anything like that. I really wanted to make sure that, you know, it was a positive relationship with her and uh, that we could not go back to this kind of like those methods.

 Nina: What drew you to this programme? Was there like a particular moment or challenge that made you think, oh, I need this?

 Emily: Um, um, there were lots of Challenges. Um. Um. One of the ones was like, getting into daycare in the morning when I had been known to be at work and things, and she would refuse to get dressed and refuse to put shoes on and just get in the car and everything was a battle and then. But once we got there, she was so happy to be at DA and she loved it and she had a lot of friends. But it was just that initial, like getting ready and, uh, that was really challenging me. Especially when you're trying to get yourself ready and get everything you need ready for work and you've got a deadline of time, you need to be there and, you know, everybody knows what that's. But it was just really stressful.

 Nina: Yeah. And I don't know, like, I've done a podcast episode on getting out of the house in the morning and it's still. Even for me with all these skills, getting out of the house can be so hard. Right.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: They're on a different time frame to us. They've got no idea.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: So, what were some of the biggest light bulb moments for you during our time together in the coaching programme?

 Emily: Uh, I really loved the. That I needed to work my own mindfulness and mean calm first because to me it was like, she's the one with problem.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: Not me. No. Like, um, um, I'm trying to modify her behaviour but not thinking about what I'm doing that could set her up for success or failure. And that was really. That was like a huge life bub the moment for me. But I was like. I also felt a bit silly because that's just that type thing that we were taught when I was becoming a teacher. You know, like, you set the tone for the classroom, you set, you set the kids up for the success with their behave, by the way, that you managed the classroom. And I was like, I don't know why I couldn't apply that to, uh, at home.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: But it’ it’s. Really different when you're dealing with your own kids and it's 247 and, you know, it's. It's totally different.

 Nina: So, getting an understanding that, you know, you're kind of the, the leader of the train, as it were, the driver of the train in setting the tone and trying to look at ways that you can help her, uh, to change her behaviour. But it all starts with you first.

 Emily: Yeah. Yeah.

 Nina: So how did the tools or strategies that we talked about in the mindful parenting coaching, how did it shift things for you either in the moment or more Generally as a parent so really.

 Emily: Reflected on my stress levels and that I wasn't. You know, I used to do lots of meditation and things before kids. You know, after kids, you just don't have time and you're trying to fit everything in. And so, I really love doing just. In just the short, mindful meditations and how, you know, just five or ten minutes, how much that could change our day and how I was feeling, and then we'd have a better day. Um, and that was. I just love that.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: And using that, learning all the different mindfulness techniques, it was really beneficial. Not just in terms of parenting. They even just form my own. My own self.

 Nina: Yeah. It's amazing how the skills can transform m other parts of your life as well, isn't it?

 Emily: Yeah, it is.

 Nina: How did your parenting change over the course of the programme?

 Emily: So definitely, um, and when, like, something could happen, I would think about what we've been. What I've been learning with you, and, you know, how could I change what I would normally do? So instead of reacting straight away, I'd be like, okay, thinking back to what I've learned with you, what's the best course of action right now? And not necessarily responding straight away. And sometimes that meant behaviour might go on a bit longer, like if it's to tantrum. But then in the end, she was having less tantrums.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: Uh, by the end of the course, because I was dating her up for success. And, um, using lots of the tools that you taught me, like using fun and being silly voices or all the different things that we. We learned about, but especially using those ones in the morning to be able to see the morning and get going was really great.

 Nina: Yeah. And I really liked what you said, is that in the moment at the start, the tantrum seemed like they would go a bit longer.

 Emily: Ye.

 Nina: But overall, the number of tantrums really reduced and got shorter.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: And I think that, um, that's hard for people to accept when they first start a different parenting approach. And t that they want children to just do what they want them to do straight away, but remembering that it's a long game.

 Emily: Y.

 Nina: And so, the time that you're putting in now is gonna help in the future.

 Emily: Ye.

 Nina: To make things easier in the future. Yeah.

 Emily: Yes. It's been. I'm so glad that I did the course when I did. You know, Nina, we've had a really challenging year of things going on in our personal life, and that's obviously affected Hannah because, yeah, little Kids, you know, they’re worry and things like that and even though you try to protect them from what's going on, they didn't. They know when something's up and that's often when they play up as well because they want that security from you.

 Nina: Hundred percent.

 Emily: So, using those tools has really helped me especially likes such a stressful time to be able to cope with that because she rests a lot in some of her behaviours especially like quality and things like that and that's been really challenging but just being able to approach it from a mindful parenting perspective has just helped so much.

 Nina: Mhm. Yeah. I was going to ask my next question was all about you know it's been almost a year I think since you started the programme so about six months since you finished. Have you been able to continue the tools that you learned and have you continued to see changes in your child? Right. You know or often think when people do a course, they do the course and then it's done and they finish it and they don't think about it again. So, I'm interested in how you've been able to continue with the mindful parenting once the program's finished.

 Emily: Yeah, so obviously you know that ebbs and flows so sometimes you go back to your old habits but when I notice like a particular issue is occurring often and our latest one has been over TV and um, how much screen time she's been getting a watch so she can watch and she's been really quite challenging and pushing back on. No, I want more TV time or to watch this show that we don't think it's appropriate. There’re some kids that she watches and I don't think behaviour is very good so I don't like her to watch those ones but she thinks they're great.

 Nina: It's always those ones. It's always those ones.

 Emily: I've been able to use those tools and um, now that she's that a little bit older, a year older I've been able to kind of negotiate a little bit with her and talk to her about we're not going to watch this particular show because we do, you know she. This child does these things which we talk about rare choices and grow. Yeah, green choices. You know she's asking a red choice and then sometimes when you watch that then you make red choices. So um, um. So, we've been able to explain that to her instead of just you know stop whinging and go to room and being able to have discussions it's helped to understand why we're not letting her watched certain shows.

 Nina: So, it's really about. You've been able to talk to her more about what she's watching ye explain it to her now she's a bit older and come up with some win win problem solving to come up with a solution that you're both happy with. Yeah, that sounds great. Yeah, I love to hear that. And I think TV can be such a struggle, especially as they get older and they want to watch the shows that their friends are watching. Having some tools in your toolkit to be able to navigate that so that you can help her, um, understand why she's watching or not watching those shows. Very cool.

 Emily: Yeah. And I can see it's probably it's going to be something that's going to continue because she's already asking me for an iPad and looking on my phone and all that stuff and I'm like, oh, it's really fun.

 Nina: Yes. But what I really like about this programme is that we do the things now and with the aim of that when they're older coming into teenagers, you know, they'll be more willing to listen to our advice because we've been using these kind and calm approaches to how we talk to them.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: And so, when she asks for an I Pad, she doesn't scream and moan about it all the time. Yeah, she's able to accept it. So, I think that's great.

 Emily: Yeah, it is. Yeah. She very. I was surprised how well she accepted it and I was just like, no, not old enough f yet. And she was s like, oh, okay. Then I'm like. I was like, wow, gold. She just doesn't want it. Want it that much. Just.

 Nina: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's really cool. Was there a specific moment when we're doing the programme where you really realised, wow, this is working?

 Emily: Yeah, I, uh, definitely had a few. And again, going back to those mornings, she would argue about what to wear to daycare. She wanted to choose her own clothes but it would just be a faff. You know, she'd go through like 100, not 100, but it seemed like it like the choices and um, you know, no, I don't want to wear this one and I want to wear something that's in the wash. And so, o no obsessed with dinosaur. So, it was like, you know, the favourite dinosaur T shirt that you can't every day because I watch it Y. So yeah, just. That was the biggest one I was able to kind of in the end to get her to choose from, I would put out two choices for her.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: So, she could choose from those two.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: And explain why like okay, we can't go through all the shirts in your cupboard to choose the one that you want. This is your options today and then we're going. So that was really helpful and getting ready pick up and just making a bit of fun. It would be like ok, let's do like a little bit of a fashion thing.

 Nina: Yeah, yeah.

 Emily: Making it fun and not, you know, just hurry up and get dressed and you know, I don't have time for this. Excellent.

 Nina: Okay. So, were there any changes in your family dynamic as a whole?

 Emily: Uh, yeah, I think we'll definitely all calmer. So, my husband was able to even though he didn't do your course and I think it would be great if he did as well. Like I recommend doing it with your partner so both on the same page and I think that would help.

 Nina: Yeah.

 Emily: But yeah, he was able to. I was able to explain to him some of the techniques I'm using and why and then he would try them and then like when we're both doing it, it worked really well. Yeah. Overall, just less arguments, less to address. Everyone's happier.

 Nina: Yeah. Excellent. Yep. I think doing it with a partner is really helpful as you said, to get you on the same page.

 Emily: Yeah, yeah.

 Nina: So as someone who supports children professionally, did the tools or any mindset shifts from the programme carry into or carry over into your work? At wise our tuition, I think doing.

 Emily: The mindfulness always helps. Like reducing m your stress helps with everything in your life. So that definitely helped you with work. Um, it's really funny though because like I kind of touched on it earlier. I would do a lot of these things in my professional work, but I never applied it to home. It did remind me of the things that I've learn as a teacher managing a class. It did bring back all that training. Just different. Working with kids one on one or in small groups as well. There's not so much hate that you need to manage often when they're only saying you once a week. It's totally different to managing class all day that you have every day. Yeah, it just reminded me of all those things. Um, and being less stressed really helps.

 Nina: It's overall health as well, isn't it really? The less stress impacts so many other factors of your life.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: Yeah. Has your understanding of children's emotional regulation or learning needs deepened in any way through what you've learned through the coaching?

 Emily: Yeah. Yeah, it's really interesting about emotional regulation and how it all works and it's made me go and learn more about it and um, cool even about it for myself as well. So, I found that really useful and it tied in at the time, just around the time that I started I also found out that I have adhd. So, uh.

 Nina: Ah yes.

 Emily: So, finding that out and then learning about how that affects your emotional regulation and just being able to self-reflect everything I was learning all at that time. I think it really supported me with that as well because I was learning about you, what I do, the things that I do and m then by Hannah might, you know, she's ADHD as well. Then looking at all of those things together I think it really just, it made me take a step back and think about why, why are we all doing the things that we do and you know, why sometimes, you know, this blows up and it's a huge hatch trm or an argument and then other days smoothly and just reflect what I can do to make sure things are smooth instead of, you know, not great.

 Nina: Yeah. And that's a really interesting intake to find out that you had or diagnosed with ADHD at the same time and you know about how the brain is working and how you're responding to situations. I'm really kind of glad that that's when you did the course so you could kind of integrate the learnings from both angles.

 Emily: Yeah, it was really good.

 Nina: Yeah, very cool.

 Emily: Yeah, I think it was serendipity there.

 Nina: Definitely. Definitely.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: So, Emily, how did you find doing the programme where you had learnings and you had coaching and reading? How did you find that that shaped your learning and understanding of the concepts?

 Emily: I really enjoyed it because I think if I did the course without a coach I would have done it but I uh, don't think I would have implemented it in quite the same way. So having the accountability of. Okay, like on Tuesday I'm going to be chatting with Nina so I need to make sure I get this done and think about, you know, questions I could ask you. It was great to be able to ask questions and like this is what's going on at home.

 Nina: Can you please give me some advice, real time feedback?

 Emily: Well, like I tried this technique and it kind of worked but you know, maybe next time I'll do this instead. It was really helpful and I really enjoyed our sessions together. Um, um.

 Nina: Cool.

 Emily: And it just, it wouldn't have been the same without that coaching.

 Nina: Yeah, I think having that one-on-one support and Real time support can make a huge difference, so you can tweak things along the way as you're going. So that's really good to hear. So, what would you say to another parent who's where you were, uh, you know, a year ago, before you started the programme? They might be overwhelmed, snappy, exhausted. What would be your advice to them?

 Emily: I would say just do the course and listen to what Nina has to say and try and implement what you can, but also give yourself grace. Like, you're not going to be perfect. No one's ever perfect.

 Nina: Right, exactly.

 Emily: But it's all about learning and, and practising those little steps and it does work and it will make your home life so much happier, um, everybody happier, including you. And I think that is such a wonderful thing to do, to learn about how we can be it in different ways, perhaps in different ways. That was modelled to us as, uh, kids, because, like you said, we all want those teenagers to come and talk to us and be able, with their problems get bigger. We want to be able to solve them together rather than kids not wanting to talk to us or doing sneaky things.

 Nina: Exactly. That's the long game, isn't it? We want to have those great relationships with our kids as they get older.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: So, I think it's really great advice. Thank you.

 Emily: Emily, welcome.

 Nina: Final question.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: Is there one small but powerful takeaway that you still use today?

 Emily: It really is just to. In the moment when I can feel that I'm getting angry or stressed out, just pause and be like, it's not the end of the world, and take a breath like, how can I get this to go a better way? And that's really hard in the moment. But if you can do that, it really will change your dynamic in your home.

 Nina: Uh, what a lovely note to end on. Thank you so much, Emily. I'm really happy that we had this opportunity to kind of talk and to reflect on your mindful parenting journey, because I think from an outsider's point of view, it's really hard to see what the changes can be.

 Emily: Yeah.

 Nina: As opposed to doing a course online or listening to, uh, someone speak, actually having that coaching and having that support, I think, uh, you can really see how you've changed over the course of the programme and how things have improved for you. So, I want to thank you for your time today.

 Emily: Thanks for having me with Nina. It was great to chat.

 Nina: We'll talk again soon.

 Nina: And if what we've talked about today.

 Nina: Really resonated with you and you'd like.

 Nina: To hear more about mindful parenting coaching, booking a 15-minute discovery call with me and I can take you through the process and we can decide together if it's going to work for you and your family. Thanks for listening to your calm parenting path. I am so glad you're here and I hope this episode gave you something useful to take into your parenting journey. If you'd like to dive deeper, sign up to my mailing list@mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au for more tips and insights. Or book a free chat to learn how we can work together. And don't forget to hit, follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. I look forward to speaking with you next time on your calm parenting path.