Kids / 7 October, 2026 / Ellie Thompson
Are we making parenting harder than it needs to be? With endless advice, conflicting opinions, parenting experts and products promising to make family life easier, it can sometimes feel as though raising children has become more complicated than ever.
In this episode of Parental Control, My Baba’s Ellie Thompson is joined by TV presenter, dad and founder of Dadvengers Nigel Clarke, alongside educational psychologist and fellow My Baba Awards judge Sasha Hall, for a refreshingly candid conversation about what parenting actually looks like behind closed doors.
From the expectations they had before becoming parents to the battles they’ve learnt to let go, parenting fails, questionable advice and the things their children have taught them along the way, Nigel and Sasha share the lessons that only really come from doing the job. They also tackle whether knowing too much about child development can make parenting harder, what children genuinely need from us and whether today’s parents are drowning in information. Qs for Nigel and Sasha
Plus, as judges of the My Baba Awards 2026, they turn their attention to the products that really make family life easier, what modern parents actually want from brands and what it takes for a product to genuinely stand out.
About Nigel Clarke
Nigel Clarke is a TV presenter and performer, best known for The Baby Club on CBeebies, described by The Guardian as “a TV godsend for frazzled new parents”. Since 2019, he has become a familiar face for young families having also hosts the spin-off series The Toddler Club.
A father of three, Nigel is the founder of Dadvengers, an award-nominated community supporting dads through every stage of parenthood. Alongside bringing fathers together through events, Dadvengers develops practical resources, delivers education for expectant dads and works with organisations to champion positive fatherhood, helping dads feel more confident and connected while strengthening family relationships.
About Dr Sasha Hall
Dr Sasha Hall is an award-winning Senior Educational and Child Psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working with children, families and education settings across the UK. She began her career as a nursery nurse, then primary school teacher, and went on to qualify as an Educational and Child Psychologist, bringing a grounded, multi-disciplinary perspective to her clinical work. She has over 15 years of clinical experience and is a lead visitor for a statutory regulator, contributing to quality assurance and professional standards within the field.
She is the founder of Hall & Co Educational Psychology Services @hallandcoeps where she specialises in complex developmental needs, neurodiversity, and strengths-based, evidence-informed assessment and support, including statutory EHCP work. Alongside her clinical practice, Dr Hall is an educator, keynote speaker, and regular media contributor, offering expert insight on parenting, early childhood development, education, and child psychology. She is recognised for her advocacy of attachment-informed, screen-light childhoods that prioritise play, connection, and emotional wellbeing. As a mother of two under five, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work.
Follow Dr Hall on Instagram: @_drhall_
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