Available to book
Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Transform parenting culture with Sarah Ockwell-Smith, speaker and gentle parenting pioneer. Sarah works with organisations to deliver evidence-based childcare expertise and family wellbeing strategies, reaching global audiences through fifteen bestselling books and regular national media appearances.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith is a best-selling childcare author and parenting coach. She has written fifteen books, including several international bestsellers. Sarah's expertise covers all ages, from birth to young adulthood, and she is often referred to as the creator of the Gentle Parenting movement.
Sarah is well-known and trusted by thousands of parents worldwide, with over a quarter of a million social media followers. She is a 'go-to' parenting expert for national TV and radio, including Good Morning Britain, BBC Radio 5, LBC, and Sky News.
Sarah has written for multiple publications, including The Daily Mail, The Guardian, and The Express, and is the tween and teen expert for the parenting website 'Good to Know'. Sarah has given multiple keynote speeches at international conferences and is experienced in running corporate training and wellbeing sessions. Her speaking style is relaxed, relatable, engaging, and humorous.
Topics, sessions and talks
Most parents struggle with staying calm. Parenting is really hard, and no parent is perfect but that doesn't stop us from feeling guilty when we yell or say something to our children that we're not proud of. Guilt is a massive problem for parents who are already exhausted and stretched thin. The good news is, there is a (realistic and achievable) way to be calmer, to lose the guilt, tame the stress and be the great role model your kids need. This talk with Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of How to be a Calm Parent, will tell you how.
There is a lot of information for parents of younger children, but little when parents most need it: during the tween and teen years. In this talk, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of Between, for parents of 8-13yr olds and How to Raise a Teen, for parents of 13-21yr olds, discusses the most common behaviour difficulties faced by parents of older children (including rudeness, backchat, screen addiction, refusal to do homework and sulking) and how to tackle them in such a way that your relationship with your older child and young adult flourishes.
The early years of parenthood are exhausting, especially because most children wake in the night for several years and bedtimes can be one of the most stressful periods of the day. Many parents turn to conventional sleep training, involving leaving their child to cry, which doesn't produce long-lasting results and can leave parents feeling stressed and anxious. There is another way though. In this talk, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of The Gentle Sleep Book, will discuss ways that parents can improve their child's sleep, without tears.
With one in five children having a diagnosable mental health condition, now is a more important time than ever to focus on our children's emotions, confidence and happiness. Much of the current parenting advice drives a wedge between the parent/child relationship and actually damages mental health. In this talk, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of How to be a Calm Parent, discusses practical ways in which parents can really help their children to grow up happy, confident, with good mental health and respectful behaviour.
Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge in parenting and child development, making her an invaluable asset for teams and businesses aiming to support the work-life balance of their employees. Her engaging and humorous speaking style ensures that her insights are not only informative but also enjoyable to listen to. Booking Sarah will provide your team with practical, gentle parenting strategies that can enhance overall wellbeing and productivity.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Sarah Ockwell-Smith structures her talks around a named book she has authored on the session topic, using that framework to present evidence-based guidance on a specific parenting challenge, such as sleep, calm, or raising teenagers.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith's sessions cover calm parenting and managing parental guilt, navigating the tween and teen years including behaviour challenges such as screen use and backchat, and improving sleep for children aged 0–5 without sleep training. She is the author of fifteen parenting books and is credited as the creator of the Gentle Parenting movement.
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