Hello, I'm Fern Cotton and this is Happy Place. Today, how to raise emotionally secure kids, hold

on to your own identity, and essentially not lose your mind as a parent.

I still struggle.

I'm not like the perfect parent in the slightest.

Definitely not the perfect step parent.

I still have days where I feel like I'm not part of the family.

People talk about intergenerational trauma.

It's there, you know.

What we really mean is that we're all, we've all come through a world where there's been an immense amount of cruelty.

Also the silent emotional load of what you're doing to be a parent is overwhelming and too demanding

and I just think that culture is very complacent and takes its mothers for granted.

I have this love for this other being that I never understood before and I don't have any fears or worries expressing that because it's such a good feeling.

Right, it's the summer holidays. How are you doing honestly? Oh my God, I mean I'm doing all right. It's full on isn't it?

The juggle is unbelievable finding things to do trying to keep kids off of screens, it's really blimmin tricky.

If you don't have parents that live nearby or help with your kids,

it is insanely discombobulating.

Of course there can be brilliant moments of joy

and really special times as a family,

but also keeping on top of work and things in the home is really, really relentless.

It is petrifying thinking about the impact we have on our children.

And a lot of that is because we know just how much of an impact our parents had on our

childhoods. Today I've pulled together loads of brilliant bits from our happy

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