It's a Drama Podcast

In all the time that I've been writing this blog I have never had so many emails from people (mostly from the US) asking me how they can make their dream of moving to New Zealand become a reality. ✔︎ Get instant access to my FREE Moving to and Living in New Zealand Guide HERE!, a 5 Day Video Series! My family and I have been living in New Zealand for eleven years. We emigrated to New Zealand from the UK eleven years ago and it was the best thing we ever did. But the posts and podcasts that I share with you here, things such as what you will miss when you move to New Zealand and life in New Zealand with kids, are given from the point of view of a Brit. And that's not much use to the Americans in the audience. So what did I do? I hunted down a real-life American who had emigrated to New Zealand, that's what I did. A mother of four who moved to New Zealand with her family almost five years ago. Tara from kiwiamerican shared her experience of moving to New Zealand from the US and revealed the biggest culture shocks, the major differences, and the problems she encountered when moving to New Zealand from the US. Living in New Zealand My family and I have been living in New Zealand for eleven years and things still take me by surprise. New Zealand, although similar to other countries in the sense that the English language is spoken, is different in ways that you can't begin to imagine. New Zealand life takes some getting used to. From becoming accustomed (and not being offended by) the New Zealand slang, to the food, the lifestyle right down to the New Zealand Christmas experience. It all takes time to get your head around, let me tell you. Other things/links we talked about in this week's life in New Zealand podcast episode: ✔︎ Get instant access to my FREE Moving to and Living in New Zealand Guide HERE!, a 5 Day Video Series! 🤔 The major differences between the schools in New Zealand and the US 🤔 What happens when you invite people over for dinner in New Zealand (compared to the US experience) 🤔 What happens when you are late for work in New Zealand 🤔 One thing Tara's father is shocked about when she returns home to the US 🤔 Tara is absolutely rocking it on Youtube. Check out her fabulous Youtube channel KiwiAmericans

If you are thinking about making a new life in New Zealand and you have a family (with little kids) then I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you are a teeny bit, massively a lot, downright scared. Or at the very least apprehensive. You lay awake in bed, probably at 3 am, worrying about what your future life in New Zealand will look like once you move to the other side of the world with your family. Ask yourself if you really will be living the dream in New Zealand or whether you're making a big mistake and will be attacked by tigers and lions and kiwis who live in down under land. What's life in New Zealand like with little kids? Listen to our latest podcast episode while you read this post and we'll tell you.

I'm not entirely sure how long the term unplugging has been a thing. It used to be (back in the day) that if you were told you to unplug it was because your parents were trying to save money on the leckie bill. Someone once told my dad that if you unplugged the toaster, you'd save 5p on every bill. But nowadays, the term unplugging comes with a whole new meaning. Unplugging in 2020 means getting off the internet, stop watching so much telly and telling your son to look up from his phone so that his neck doesn't develop a permanent turtle shell shape.

Maybe I'm naive. Or slightly twisted. But when I found out that there was an organisation called Couchsurfing that would allow me to travel the world with my teenagers (for free) while meeting other like-minded people, I jumped at it. Yes, it would mean that we'd be sleeping under the same roof of complete strangers, maybe even on a couch, but we'd get to know interesting people and listen to stories that I hadn't heard a thousand times before. And who knows? They might even invite my teenagers to stay for a few years.

The funniest thing happened yesterday. Because it was Father's Day, I said my husband that on this week's podcast episode we should talk about him being a homeschooling dad. Give some tips to all the other dads, husbands or partners out there that are currently faced with being a new homeschooling parent. And guess what he said to me? (Bearing in mind that our kids have been homeschooled for almost ten years). He said: How can I talk about that? How can I give other guys homeschooling tips when it was you who did everything, and I just went to work?

If you are wondering how to balance homeschooling and working at the same time then you are in the right place. Let's do an elbow bang. I have been homeschooling for almost ten years, and for the second time in my homeschooling career, I find myself, once again, in the position of balancing homeschooling with earning some money. Why I didn't marry a millionaire I'll never know. My first attempt at homeschooling and working full time was a bloody disaster. Awful. I made lots of mistakes and ended up feeling like a squashed banana on a busy highway. So this time around I made sure that I did things differently. That's one of the benefits of homeschooling - you get to learn from your mistakes and then you become brilliant.

If you have always dreamt of living in New Zealand, are under 30 years old and have a bit of dosh saved up (enough to get you back to your own country) you can spend a year working in New Zealand by getting yourself a year-long working Visa. That way you can see how you like it. This week's podcast episode features Adam, a twenty-something chappy from the UK is doing just that. After being persuaded by his mate to leave Thailand and come to New Zealand to work on a fairground, he got himself a year-long working visa and headed down under.

In the ten years that we have spent living in New Zealand, my family and I have never been glamping. Not once. Let's face it. It's not the sort of thing you want to do with two kids, is it? But. With the kids now old enough to make their own beans on toast, Brian and I decided that it was time to check out what this New Zealand glamping craze was all about. Get us a little bit of hippy outdoorsy fun. And while we were there - glamping in New Zealand - we made a podcast episode for you. And wrote a post. After all, what else would a husband and wife do when they find themselves alone without their kids for the first time in nineteen years??

This week's podcast is brought to you by me (Liz) and my husband Brian. It is brought to you with love. And with wine and with sushi. This is a different kind of podcast format from any other that we've done in the past (and, I won't lie, it was slightly scarier). Brain and I will talk about what's on top for us right now. As parents. As husband and wife. As friends. What share we are loving, what are we struggling with, and how we are dealing with both.

I wish I'd read a post or listened to a Podcast like this when we were looking to move to New Zealand ten years ago. At least then I would have been prepared. I could have packed a hot water bottle and a sun hat and some hankies. But I didn't. Instead, I got to the other side of the world and blubbed for six months about how my family never returned my calls and that the bathroom in the house that we were renting was cold and smelly and damp. New Zealand. Is there any better place? I'm not a doom and gloomer. No sir. Not me. My family and I have been living in New Zealand for almost a decade. We love it. New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places on earth and raising my kids in New Zealand was the best decision we ever made.

Last week I received this email. "Hi. I am thinking of moving to New Zealand with my family but I am concerned that as we are moving from the UK, my eldest son (who is 12) will be bored. Could you give me any advice?" I have two kids, a boy age 18 (note to oneself, must stop calling him a kid) and a daughter who is 15. We have been living in New Zealand for almost eleven years. We emigrated from the UK for a better way of life. And yes. We found it.

If you had to pick just a few, which would you say were the most beautiful places in the World to visit? This is a question that our family hears a lot when we tell how we spent twelve months travelling the world together (two adults and two teenagers) on a budget. We visited thirty-three countries in total - all of them magnificent but some being crowned more beautiful than others. This is part two of a podcast that my son (Sonny) and I made. We couldn't fit every beautiful place in the world into one post so we decided to treat you to two smaller bite-sized portions!

Which were the most beautiful places on earth? This is the question that everyone asks you when you tell them that you spent twelve months travelling the world with your teenagers. That, and did they miss their friends? This week, Sonny (my 18-year-old son) and I made a podcast episode that talked about our favourite places around the world and why they were considered by us to be deemed beautiful.

What is a tiny house and why would a twenty-six-year-old girl want to invest all of her savings and live in one in New Zealand? Because she can and they're cool. That's why. Could you live in a tiny house? In this week's podcast, Sonny and I get to chat with Laura. Laura is a twenty-six-year-old graphic designer from New Zealand who, for the past few years, has been living frugally so that she can save every cent that she makes to invest into building herself a tiny home in the North of New Zealand. Think of a tiny house as a mini version of what you're living in now. With a lot less clutter and stuff. In New Zealand, the average house size is 205m², while in America, the square footage for a typical home is 2400ft² (223m²). The size of a tiny house? You can expect anywhere between 100 to 400ft² (approx 10 - 40m²).

Kids playing video games is so new thing. Even I, who, according to my kids is a dinosaur who knows nothing - used to play Pacman and space invaders. So why are parents becoming more and more anxious and stressed out over the fact that their kids are spending more time on the screen and less time interacting with the people around them? I am a parent of two kids. My son is almost nineteen (when do we stop calling them kids?!) going on ten, and my daughter is fifteen going on twenty-three. I homeschooled my kids for the past nine years. Our homeschooling schedule had written into it that Friday was a no lesson day, which meant that on this day my kids got to stay at home with their grandma while I met up with friends for some 'me' time. Every Friday morning, when my kids were nine and twelve, I would meet up with two friends, both of whom had boys of a similar age to mine. And every week, without fail, we would all sit and cry to each other about the same thing. The amount of time our kids were spending playing video games.

Why do you need a homeschooling schedule? Because without one you will spend your days wandering from one project to another. Feeling extremely busy but accomplishing very little, if anything, at all. How strict does the home-schooling schedule need to be? Strict enough to keep everyone happy but not too strict that you become a slave to the schedule. Home-schooling isn't easy. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. And how can it be? As parents, we already have a million things to sort out. Running a house is a job in itself. And let's not forget those parents that have to home-school and work full time. But home-schooling shouldn't be stressful either. And neither will it be if you create the right kind of homeschooling schedule for your family.

Yesterday, at 12 pm, New Zealand went to level 4 and as such, the entire country is now in lockdown for (a minimum) of four weeks. Saying it and doing it are two different things. When you are going about your daily life, walking to work and drinking coffee in cafes with buskers outside, the idea of spending a month with the same people behind closed doors seems somewhat of a novelty. It wouldn't be too bad, you think to yourself. And then it starts. And after two hours of walking from the lounge to the bedroom, you begin to fantasise about getting into your car and driving to the supermarket for a packet of chewing gum. On this week's podcast of our family chats about how to stay positive while being locked together under the same roof. Me, my husband (Brian) and our soon to be nineteen-year-old son discuss fear, panic and the importance of staying positive in such unsettling times.

How old is too old to travel? You know how when you get to a certain age, and you suddenly start 'playing on it?' "Ohh I couldn't possibly take the bins out - I'm far too old for that." Or "Don't ask me to hold the dog down while you cut her toenails - I'm getting on a bit. I can't kneel for long." Well, this week's guest made me feel like a right old fake. He put me in my place and showed me that you are as old as you feel. In this week's podcast episode I got to chat with Ed Nicollette. Ed is 86 years young and lives in Rochester, Upstate New York with his lovely wife Anita (who, for the record, also comes across as being twenty years younger.)

It's easy for me to bang on about how wonderful New Zealand is - my family and I have been living here for the last ten years and although the country has its pros and cons, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I adore living in New Zealand and will always bore anyone who will listen. So yes. I probably am a bit biased. So we thought we'd give you a treat... This weeks podcast episode sees our first interview ever! We thought it would be fun for you to hear all about New Zealand from the eyes of a first-timer. Someone fresh off the boat and eager to explore. My first podcast guest! Drinking wine and finding out what a visitor from America really thinks of New Zealand! This week's lovely guest was Mark; an American tourist, who, having recently visited New Zealand for the first time this year was only too happy to share his first impressions of the country.

Jet lag. Is there anything worse than finding yourself wide awake at 3 am with the dreaded jet lag? Pacing around the house like a deluded tiger, trying to decide whether it would be best to watch TV or clean the cutlery drawer out? In this week's podcast, Sonny and I talk about jet lag and a few proven ways in which you can avoid it. And no. My suggestion wasn't to get as drunk as possible on the plane thank you very much. I am far too sophisticated and grown-up for that.

This week's podcast walks you through a budget-friendly and fun weekend with kids in Charleston, SC; one of the most popular and unique travel destinations in the world! Last year my husband and I took our two kids ( teenagers age 16 and 13) to Charleston, SC for a long weekend. But. There was a catch. As always we were on a budget (nothing new there then ) and I must admit, I was somewhat worried as to whether we'd be able to make our money stretch. Our budget was $80 per day for the four of us. Did we do it?

In this week's podcast, Sonny and Liz talk about the culture of Japan and a few things you need to be aware of before you go. Life in Japan is very easy to adjust to and the Japanese people are amongst the most generous and welcoming folk in the world. But. The Japanese do have one tiny downside...

This week's podcast is hosted by Liz and Sonny (first one of the year!) and is an up close and personal episode looking a what happened in our lives last year that left us feeling grateful (and being able to discuss the reasons why we are grateful). I think everyone should take stock (each day if possible) and take a look at what the things they have to be grateful for. Otherwise, you could turn into a moaning Minnie. And no one likes those. Teenagers are always getting a rough time about how privileged and ungrateful they are, so we thought it would be fun to discuss exactly what (if anything) this eighteen-year-old boy (sorry Sonny, young man) and his mother feels grateful for. Gulp.

This week's podcast episode is brought to you by Liz and her husband, Brian. In thirty short minutes, we try our best to cram a year's experience of New Zealand living into a helpful guide of how to move to New Zealand (and what you can expect when you get here)should you be thinking of starting a new life in New Zealand.

This week's podcast on moving to New Zealand is hosted by me, (Liz ) and my husband Brian. We moved to New Zealand from the UK with our two kids in 2009 and have now been living in New Zealand as a family (our kids are now 18 and 15) for more than ten years. Our reasons for leaving the UK to start a new life in New Zealand were personal and rather jumbled. It was a kind of 'let's give it a go' decision and one which neither of us has ever regretted. Not ever. Amongst our other genie wishes, we longed for more space for the kids (which we have), less stress (tick) and more opportunity (I'll never be sure on this one, but I don't think we would have done the things we have - homeschooled both of our kids, built our own home, travelled the world for a year had we not moved to New Zealand, so, yes opportunity gets a tick too!).

I love you India, I really do. I dedicated an entire India podcast on what it was like traveling in India for the first time. No matter what time of day you ask me - regardless of whether my hormones are playing up or not. I will always tell anyone I meet that traveling in India for seven weeks - backpacking across your beautiful land with my kids was one of the best experiences of my life. But bloody hell. Your sleeper buses? They really are something else. My kids were 16 and 13 when my family embarked on not one, but two of India's overnight busses and I thought it only fair to share our experience on this podcast. Just in case, you are thinking of doing it yourself one day. (*Spoiler alert - and you must! It is an adventure!)

After spending seven weeks backpacking around India with my kids (teenagers age 16 and 13) I thought we should do a podcast on the country (and put to bed the silly myths that surround visiting India). When I told people that we were planning a trip to India the response was...let's say colourful. Some (mostly those who were born before the 1960s and had spent their youth discovering Asia on a couple of quid) encouraged us: 'you'll love it' they said and went on to talk about the beautiful Indian beaches or the temples in Hampi. But others weren't so encouraging. They warned us about getting sick and losing ten stone, said that we might get eaten by giant rats and be left for dead— or worse, pushed out into the river Ganges on a raft made from a billion plastic bottles.

This week's show comes after a long winter hibernation which included (for Liz at least) mainly cream, potatoes, belly pork and wine. But. It is spring in New Zealand now and we are back and raring to go! If you have ever dreamed of emigrating to Australia or New Zealand but spending Christmas in the sun seems a bit weird, then you will love this show! In this episode, we… Share the differences between Christmas time in New Zealand (Southern Hemisphere) and how that differs to the big day in the US/UK (Northen Hemisphere) The pros and cons of spending Christmas in the sunshine and the big secret that anyone wishing to do Christmas time on the cheap should know about!

This week's show is a continuation from Episode 5 - Couchsurfing as a family (how to save money). After that show, we got lots of please for us to elaborate on the 'weird Italian host'. Now. Because I am very delicate and old, please don't go attacking me and say I should be grateful that this guy let four rag- bags sleep in his house. I am; I was very grateful. But. This guy was a bit...weird Eccentric. So we thought we'd share. That way, if you are considering couchsurfing with your kids (and you absolutely should - it's the best!) you might want to avoid this certain Italian host. Unless your kids are harder than mine and like small wooden structures. In this episode, we… Talk about our very unusual couch surfing host that we experienced in Florence, Italy Talk about Florence, alcohol, rabbits and toilets. Your mind must be boggling.

If you have ever thought about leaving your home country and emigrating, I bet New Zealand was on the short list. Since 2010, New Zealand has seen, amongst other nationalities, 10,000 Americans and 42,000 British get off the plane in Auckland or Wellington and prepare to spend their future living in New Zealand. Some of those immigrants last only a few years; they decide that New Zealand isn't the place for them and head back home. Usually complaining that they can't get decent bacon. But some, like us, stay and make 'the land of the long white cloud' their home. Living In New Zealand. The Pros And Cons. My family (husband and two kids) have been living in New Zealand for the past nine years, we emigrated from the Uk in 2010 and now New Zealand is home. We all love it and are very happy here but there are a few things that can get on your nerves. Apart from the bacon. This podcast is a discussion between Sonny and I where we look at what we like (and what annoys us) about living in New Zealand. Sonny says a few things about New Zealand that I don't agree with (like the internet being rubbish?! I don't think it is) but that's the beauty of this Podcast; to get two different perspectives. One from a cocky young buck and the other from a stuck-in-her-ways- old biddy. For Pinterest ⇓ A few of My Pros Regarding Living in New Zealand: Outdoor time is a huge priority in New Zealand. When we lived in the Uk people would talk about what new chain had opened up in the high street or whether you had been to the fancy new mall that you had to spend three hours in the carpark queuing to get to. Living in New Zealand will instead see you talking about the size of the surf, the hiking conditions, if the weather is right for fishing or (and this is a biggie) your kid's sport. This was a bit of a learning curve for me as both my kids are lazy little sods and hate playing sport. We do love hiking as a family though so that solved that little problem. House prices. We talked about the cost of living in New Zealand in our previous podcast so if you want to know more about prices, go and listen. I also wrote an in-depth blog post about how much wages were and how far your money will go in New Zealand and I recorded a vlog on the subject so I won't speak too much of it now. Let's just say - house price wise - you get a lot more bang for your buck than in the UK. Some Of The Cons Of Living In New Zealand So far away. Not sure if this is a con or a pro though. Depends on whether or not I am in favour with the rest of the family. Time difference. referring to the UK here - America is only (only she says) 18 hours behind, you can still make that work - the UK, on the other hand, is a pain. When you've had a glass of wine at night they are eating their Weetabix, putting their important heads on and mouthing to each other about how they think you're an alcoholic who lives on the other side of the world. If you want to know more of the things that we like and don't like about living in New Zealand then please take a listen to the podcast. It's twenty minutes long and will be a massive help if you have ever dreamt of packing your bags and heading down under! Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe on iTunes! Thank you for your support! X

We have decided to do a series of life in New Zealand and so this weeks podcast covered the basics on how expensive it is to live in New Zealand. We have been living in New Zealand for ten years. We emigrated from the UK where we lived in the very posh (and bloody expensive) city of Bath. If you are posh you have to say 'Barrth'. I always like to try my best. We now live in the very down to earth, (although a little more expensive to live) region of Taranaki on the West Coast of the north island in New Zealand and we love it. So many people comment on how New Zealand is expensive, and yes, compared to some places in the world (especially Asia) it is quite pricey. Like anywhere though, there are pros and cons of living in New Zealand, but generally, I think the cost of living is pretty reasonable. Here's what we covered in the podcast: How Expensive Is New Zealand? Housing In New Zealand Average house prices in New Zealand are $525,000 NZD. This is $360,000 US and £275,000 GBP. Our gas bill per month is $150 NZD. This is $102 US and £78 GBP Our electricity bill per month is $320 NZD. This is $220 US and £170GBP. (listen to the podcast to hear where our electric goes! Grocery bill for us (family of 4 with a wine addiction - us, not the kids) is $350 NZD which is $240 US and £185 GBP We also talk about the cost of renting a house in New Zealand, particularly Taranaki, the region in the North Island where we live. Last year we took the kids backpacking around the world for a year and rented our house out while we were gone. we charged $600 NZD a week which is $410 US and £315 GBP. Ours is a four-bedroom house in the country and we rented it fully furnished. Running A Car in New Zealand If you watch our latest vlog on the cost of living in New Zealand you will see how much new cars are but here's a rough average of what cars cost to run in New Zealand: Petrol per week (I have a Peugeot 207 SW 1.6 Petrol) $100 NZD. This is $70 US and £55 GBP. WOF (warrant of fitness required every six months) $57. $40 USD. £30 GBP Rego (tax disk) per year $270 NZD which is $185 USD. £140 GBP. Teenage Entertainment In New Zealand Sonny said that for a day out with his friends will cost him approx $25 NZD I'll let you listen to the podcast to hear where his money goes... Average Salary In New Zealand We then talked about the average wages in New Zealand which is $49,000 NZD that equates to $33,000 US and £25,000 GBP. If you are a tradesman, a teacher, a nurse or a GP then listen to the podcast and I tell you how much you can expect to earn if you were to come to New Zealand and live. We hope you enjoyed the show this week, as I said, this will be a series of life in New Zealand, how much things cost, the Pro's and Con's of living on the other side of the world and more! If you like the podcast, please don't forget to rate us on iTunes and leave a comment over there - it helps our algorithm hugely! See you next week, Liz x

This week, the podcast focused on Couchsurfing. We recently backpacked around the world with our kids for a year. Our budget was approx $75 a day for the four of us - which wasn't easy considering we have two gannets as teenagers. This week on the podcast we explored the dark murky waters of Couchsurfing. We recently backpacked around the world with our kids for a year. Our budget was approx $75 a day for the four of us - which wasn't easy considering we have two gannets as teenagers. One of the ways we were able to stick to our budget was by Couchsurfing. In case you aren't familiar with this amazing organization, it is a website that pairs travellers - who are in need of somewhere to stay, with a host, who has a spare room, bed (or sometimes a couch) to offer. Couchsurfing. What is it and Why Does The Thought Of It Terrify Me? We wanted to discuss the pro's and con's of Couchsurfing and to try and answer the most commonly asked questions that people have. Also, when I tell people that we took our teenagers to sleep on strangers couches they are quite rightly filled with doubt! There is a misconception (which I too used to have) that Couchsurfing is for twenty-year-olds who are looking for a good time. Not true. And anyway, even when I was twenty I was still boring so that puts an end to that theory. Some of the points that were raised were: Is Couchsurfing free? Why would anyone want to couchsurf? What is it like to Couchsurf as a family? Is Couchsurfing safe? All of these questions and more were discussed, and hopefully, we convinced you that if you are looking to travel and haven't got much money (but you have got a great sense of adventure), then Couchsurfing really is the best. There is a fabulous story that we touched on. We were in Italy and one particular Couchsurfing host was ...let's say 'eccentric'! I loved him, (because I am weird and slightly vindictive) but the kids were honestly terrified. Seriously, they were never in any danger - they simply saw how one crazy Italian man lived his life. It was a brilliant experience. Anyway, have a listen to Sonny's interpretation of this and let me know if your teenagers would have felt the same. If you would like to hear more about the crazy Italien then leave a comment and we will see to it! You can read further here: Couchsurfing with kids, the good, the bad and the bucket The Couchsurfing Website: https://www.couchsurfing.com

How to Deal With Rejection When All You Want to Do Is Bawl Your Eyes Out: Part 2. Episode 4 Part 2 Episode four of the It's a drama podcast was a tough one for both Sonny and me. This week we discussed the consequences of rejection from friends, how to deal with rejection and we also touched upon cyberbullying. In the past month, we have both been the victims of social rejection and we thought it would be a good idea to see how it affects not just teenagers but adults too. I won't lie, it was hard for me to talk about on air. I was bullied badly as a young teenager, and the damage of that leaves me feeling very panicky and vulnerable if faced with confrontation. It is a lot easier for me to hide behind funny blog posts. As it turned out, discussing what happened on the podcast was the best thing that I could have done. Afterwards, I felt as though I had been in a therapy session. As a side note, I have never had any kind of therapy, but after opening up to my son on this week's podcast, I can totally see why people would seek out someone to talk to. Sonny, it seems, is a natural podcast host. He is patient and intelligent, and I very much forget when I'm talking to him that he is indeed my son. The same boy who hours earlier, I have been moaning at to tidy the breakfast dishes away. This week's podcast was so juicy and needed talking about in such depth that we decided to split the show into two and have a part 1 and part 2. Part one sees us both laying down each of our experiences and touching briefly on how being rejected made us feel. Part two is the real gold. I won't give too much away, but just make sure you listen to part two to seek the answers you might need about how to deal with rejection and understanding this certain form of bullying. As always, we would like to say thank you so much for your support. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe to us on iTunes and if you could leave us a short comment and rating that would help us enormously in reaching other people. ( iTunes is a fickle mistress. The more comments and subscribers a podcast receives, the further up the ladder of exposure you go.) Thank you my lovely people x The Podcast Notes. We discuss the difference between bullying and rejection and how to deal with both. The term bullying is defined as a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour intended to cause fear, distress, or harm to another person's body, emotions, self-esteem or reputation. Although the attack that I experienced wasn't (thankfully) ongoing or persistent, it certainly harmed my emotions, my reputation and my self-esteem, so, in my eyes, it was a form of cyberbullying. Rejection can appear in the form of social rejection when a person is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or passive rejection which is when the perpetrator gives the victim the silent treatment. Both of these definitions applied to sonny's situation, and we discuss the effects of both and how to deal with rejection from friends. The physical effects of reliving an unpleasant experience such as online humiliation/bullying/rejection are quite clear in my voice as I retell how I felt. We purposely didn't edit this out. I think people need to see that the fear of bullying doesn't just affect teenagers. Further Reading: Amy Morin. 5 Ways That Mentally Strong People Deal with Rejection. The Rangers Apprentice Series. John Flannigan. Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School in Wellington.

How to Deal With Rejection When All You Want to Do Is Bawl Your Eyes Out: Part 1. Episode 3 (Part 1) Episode three (part 1) of the It's a drama podcast was a tough one for both Sonny and me. This week we discussed the consequences of rejection from friends, how to deal with rejection and we also touched upon cyberbullying. In the past month, we have both been the victims of social rejection and we thought it would be a good idea to see how it affects not just teenagers but adults too. I won't lie, it was hard for me to talk about this on air. I was bullied badly as a young teenager, and the damage of that leaves me feeling very panicky and vulnerable if faced with confrontation. It is a lot easier for me to hide behind funny blog posts. As it turned out, discussing what happened on the podcast was the best thing that I could have done. Afterwards, I felt as though I had been in a therapy session. As a side note, I have never had any kind of therapy, but after opening up to my son on this week's podcast, I can totally see why people would seek out someone to talk to. Sonny, it seems, is a natural podcast host. He is patient and intelligent, and I very much forget when I'm talking to him that he is indeed my son. The same boy who hours earlier, I have been moaning at to tidy the breakfast dishes away. This week's podcast was so juicy and needed talking about in such depth that we decided to split the show into two and have a part 1 and part 2. Part one sees us both laying down each of our experiences and touching briefly on how being rejected made us feel. Part two is the real gold. I won't give too much away, but just make sure you listen to part two to seek the answers you might need about how to deal with rejection and understanding the reason people behave the way they do. As always, we would like to say thank you so much for your support. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe to us on iTunes and if you could leave us a short comment and rating that would help us enormously in reaching other people. ( iTunes is a fickle mistress. The more comments and subscribers a podcast receives, the further up the ladder of exposure you go.) Thank you my lovely people x The Podcast Notes. We discuss the difference between bullying and rejection and how to deal with both. The term bullying is defined as a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour intended to cause fear, distress, or harm to another person's body, emotions, self-esteem or reputation. Although the attack that I experienced wasn't (thankfully) ongoing or persistent, it certainly harmed my emotions, my reputation and my self-esteem, so, in my eyes, it was a form of cyberbullying. Rejection can appear in the form of social rejection when a person is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or passive rejection which is when the perpetrator gives the victim the silent treatment. Both of these definitions applied to sonny's situation, and we discuss the effects of both and how to deal with rejection from friends. The physical effects of reliving an unpleasant experience such as online humiliation/bullying/rejection are quite clear in my voice as I retell how I felt. We purposely didn't edit this out. I think people need to see that the fear of bullying doesn't just affect teenagers. Further Reading: Amy Morin. 5 Ways That Mentally Strong People Deal with Rejection. The Rangers Apprentice Series. John Flannigan. Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School in Wellington.

How Long Term Travel Affects Different Members Of The Family Episode 2 This episode of the podcast is all about how families cope when they throw everything up in the air for a while and decide to go travelling with their kids. I have had people say to me that their kids would be nervous about leaving their friends and home for a couple of weeks. While we were travelling last year, my daughter got pretty homesick. She wanted her friends and her own bed which is understandable. I worried myself sick over the fact that we had ruined her life forever and then, the following week, she turned around and said she was happy again and wanted to continue travelling. I don't know who I was madder at. Me for crying myself to sleep and worrying myself senseless or her for telling me in the first place! A good lesson to learn here is that parents often worry about our kids for no reason. I know I do. We all do. And mostly it turns out to be a storm in a teacup. For Pinterest! Podcast Notes We tried a different format for this podcast. We did a question and answer session. Three questions each. Here were the questions: What was your initial thought when I said that we were going to travel around the world for a year? How had you changed when you returned home and did you still fit in? Were you ever lonely? Did your friends still relate to you? How did you keep in touch with your friends? I loved this podcast and as I mentioned above, the things that I would have said my kids were worried about turned out to be completely different to what I thought. Just shows that we don't always know what's going on in that teenage brain. I had a hard time returning back to real life and we discuss that too. Before we closed the show, I asked Sonny what book he was reading at the moment. It was Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett That's it from us for this week! I hope you enjoyed the show. Please comment below or send me a private message if there is a topic you would like us to talk about. I'll do my best! PS: Remember to subscribe to us our iTunes and leave a comment too!

It's a Drama Parenting Podcast! Episode 1: I'm really very excited to be launching our very own /travel/lifestyle and parenting podcast for 2019. It is something that I have dreamed of doing for a while but never had the time or the courage! Having my teenagers by my side will make me seem a whole lot more courageous than I really am and plus, it gives you a chance to hear things from a different perspective. This is all very new to us so we will be trying out different things - be gentle with us and do me a favour? Email me with topics that you would like us to discuss. Please? For Pinterest What's The Podcast About? The first episode is us saying hello and talking about mobile devices, the pros and cons of why a kid needs a cell phone and how parents react to this. A teenagers point of view and parents concerns. Are phones bad for our children? Is there any need to worry so much. Some of you may know that teenagers and devises are my favourite subject - but how do kids feel? Podcast Notes: I have homeschooled both of my kids (now 17 and 14) for the past nine years. Last year we took them backpacking around the world for a year. It was the best thing we have ever done. It was while we were on this trip that we came up with the idea of starting a podcast wherein kids and parents discuss topics. Sharing both sides of the story. I know that all teenagers are not the same. Some are really shy, others feel as though they can't talk about certain stuff to their parents. That is why we wanted to make this podcast as honest as possible. The minute it feels awkward I will pull the plug. If I had a podcast like this I would probably be addicted to it. There is so much I want to know about how other parents cope with stuff but I am usually either too embarrassed (they may think I'm a nosey cow) or too polite (what are you suggesting?). This is a fly on the wall podcast just for you. I mess up straight away by introducing myself and then, before I know it, I am introducing Sonny too. That is something I will have to remember when doing this podcast - to keep my mouth shut and let my kids have their say! I ask my 17-year-old son, Sonny, what age did he get his phone and WHY does he have to have it strapped to his hand for 14 hours a day?! He explains about a snapchat phenomenon called 'Streaks'. I don't tell him what streaks referred to back in the '80s... When you hear what it is teenagers are actually doing with their phones it makes the whole worry thing a great deal easier. I'm not saying I like it, but it is the way of the world and I think it's better to understand something rather than be frightened of it. The podcast flew by so quickly. Once we got talking I really didn't want it to end, but we think that twenty minutes is long enough. What do you think? And do you like Sonny's intro? Message me and give me some ideas, we'll love you forever. And don't forget, if you enjoy the parenting podcast subscribe on iTunes and leave us a review! That way we will get seen by more people. Yay! .