Hello and welcome to Happy Place with me, Fern Cotton. On this podcast we figure out how to live our own happiest lives, shedding the fear of judgement from others.

Today I'm feeling through some of that with Frankie Bridge.

When you have kids that's the biggest learning curve is that we don't have that control to make everything perfect.

Although I worry about them, it's more about how I'm doing the job. Do they deserve better than me? Would someone else be better at being their mum?

You know I have these real dark days where I say to Wayne, you'd all be better off without me.

And then on a brighter day I know that's not true, but in those days where I'm really struggling I genuinely believe that that is the answer.

Singer and author Frankie has always been very open about her mental health, but in her new book, Grow and Indeed in this chat, she thinks about how becoming a parent and all the new practicalities and emotions that have come with that have interacted with her existing mental health struggles.

I have to say she did a very good job of making me step back and think about how much time I actually allow myself to claim as my own.

Not that much as it turns out.

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This episode is sponsored by More Than Insurance. They partnered with Dogs For Good, a charity that brings people and dogs together to make life possible.

In just two years, More Than have sponsored a number of dogs for good puppies, and together they provided support to hundreds of families and individuals,

affected by disability, dementia, autism and other conditions.

Isn't that just so amazing?

I know firsthand that it is so, so important to have a support system around you, and that's exactly what dogs for good are providing.

That's honestly all I can hope for happy place to do too.

I think there's so much power in listening to other people's stories.

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