The Juggling Act

Masterchef Australia is back with 24 contestants vying it out in the kitchen for the title. Landscape Architect and mum to three-year-old twin boys, Jess Hodge, is hoping her supportive family and tiny cheer squad will help her take out the top spot and change their lives. She joins us to chat about the hardest thing about the show and how her boys react to seeing her on TV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fleur Marks has now battled two chronic illnesses, one non-curable, and with that has had to learn that your role as a mum changes significantly when you get sick. Many people, including Fleur, have struggled with this, to the point where she feels unworthy of celebrating Mother’s Day because she wasn’t being the mother she wanted to be once her health deteriorated. Fleur is now a known wellbeing consultant and leadership coach, and as the founder of The Wellbeing, she's helping people live life fully, and take care of their wellbeing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mum recently revealed to us that she's heard her husband telling their child that he loves him more than she does because they get along better. How would you react? Sarah and Mel share their thoughts and open up about their own experiences around parents picking a favourite child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Sarah and Mel chat about the random accidents our kids have and the things that happened to us growing up. Speaking of accidents, 'Accidental Weatherman' from Sunrise Sam Mac reveals he can’t wait to be a dad! Finance expert Renae Vercoe shares tips to juggling the complicated world of health insurance and getting the most out of it for your family. Melissa Doyle is in the studio and admits that there’s freedom to turning 50 and leaving TV. And Mindfulness expert Charlotte Tharup shares tips on how to ditch the anxiety and enjoy family life more in just 10 minutes a day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re almost midway through the year, can you believe it? And we are in need of some downtime. Anyone else? You’re in luck because today’s guest is a world-renowned mindfulness expert, transformative educator and director of The Mindfulness Clinic. Charlotte Thaarup is here to help us all ditch the anxiety, relax and enjoy family life more. And she says we can do it in just ten minutes a day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing highlights the passing of time more than children who constantly ask how old you are and how old they’re going to be. That combined with pressure from society around aging can be tough! Today’s guest, journalist and TV / radio host Melissa Doyle, knows that feeling all too well. She turned 50 the year that she left TV and realised that she felt freer. So together with her bestie Naima (who is in her early 40s), she decided to create a podcast called Age Against the Machine, which looks out how different cultures and countries feel about ageing and older women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You don’t have to get health insurance in Australia, but it can have implications come tax time. So how do you know if you’ve got the right coverage for your family and make sure you’re getting the most of it? Renae Vercoe – Founder of Money Mode - joins us with some brilliant advice to navigating this complex world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Around 7 years ago now, Mel worked on a TV show for Channel TEN called Wake Up. The roving reporter was a young guy who showed a bit of promise. His name? Sam Mac. Sam went onto score one of the most coveted roles in TV, the weather guy on Sunrise. He’s now somehow found time to write a book called 'Accidental Weatherman', about the impact changing weather patterns have on the number of accidents people have. Kidding. It’s his memoir and it’s very funny. Sam joins us to chat about early wake ups, life after Sunrise and how he can't wait to become a (Mac) daddy. (blame Mel for that one...)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many times have you been to the ER with your kids? It's a shame we don't get membership points for frequent visits. They just seem to do the most random things! Sarah and Mel open up about the strange incidents that have happened to their children and to them growing up!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we catch up with the delightful Jimmy Rees about how COVID has completely changed his career. Tanya Hennessy joins us to chat about how she’s inspiring our tween girls. The founder of The Babes Project opens up about the personal reason she’s making sure vulnerable new mums have more support. We chat with a childcare educator about the crucial role early learning plays in a child's life. And Sarah and Mel talk about whether homework in primary school should even be a thing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juggling work, pick up and drop-offs, lunchboxes, extra-curricula activities, dinner, bath and bedtime when your child starts school, is a lot! Then throw homework in the mix and it feels like there's just not enough minutes in the day. By the time you get home, cook dinner, eat, and get ready for bed, where is the time to fit it in? Sarah and Mel talk about whether or not homework is even needed in primary school and how to manage that juggle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sending your child to childcare can come with mixed emotions - often with a sprinkling of guilt. But once they start you can quickly see the incredible role that the educators and centres play in their development. We're joined by Helen Bailey from Goodstart Early Learning to tell us about the crucial role early learning plays in a child's life and how parents can best work with educators.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be so overwhelming when you first fall pregnant. The exhaustion, the strange changes to your body, the worry of whether you're going to be a good mum. Imagine juggling all that and the stress of whether you're going to have enough money to care for them or whether your partner would hurt you - or the baby. During COVID there's been an increase in peri-natal depression and domestic violence, so today's guest, Helen Parker - founder and CEO of a non-for-profit group called The Babes Project - is calling for more perinatal support for pregnant women doing it tough. She also shares her deeply personal reason for wanting to protect new mums and their babes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our tweens are growing up in such a different world to us, and it can be hard to know how to help them thrive. During comedian Tanya Hennessy’s career, she found herself unexpectedly becoming an inspiration to young girls. So she wanted to try and find a way to help them, show them how to be more confident, tenacious and resilient. She’s written a kids' book called ‘Drum Roll Please … It's Stevie Louise’, and she opens up about how her own childhood inspired the idea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We know him as Jimmy Giggle after hours spent watching Giggle and Hoot on the ABC (sometimes after the kids have left the room). But after finishing up with the ABC before the pandemic, Jimmy has been working hard to establish himself as an entertainer outside of his famous role. During COVID, he started creating hilarious videos taking the piss out of each Australian state and their reaction, as well as totally relatable parenting videos – and he has now reshaped his career. Jimmy is also working alongside brands such as FUNCH to help parents juggle this ‘new normal', and the dad of three joins us to chat about his increasing social media fame and becoming an 'adult entertainer' (no, not that kind...)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Sarah and Mel open up about how you feel about your body after having a baby… Singer Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans) reveals how losing his dad as a teen has changed the way he parents. We chat with a former childcare worker about the things she would like parents to know! We’re joined by an expert who claims feelings of hatred for your children can actually enrich the maternal love you feel. And we have a fantastic chat with the gorgeous Sam Johnson about what he would say to his late mother if she was still here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you could tell your mum anything at all, what would it be? It’s a massive question and one that's hard to answer off the top of your head. Actor and author Samuel Johnson – who first burst onto our screens in The Secret Life of Us, before winning the hearts of Australia with his charity work with his sister Connie, Love Your Sister – has asked some of the biggest names in the country that very question. They’ve written a letter to their mum in his new book Dear Mum, and he joins us to talk about what he would say to his late mum and why his older sister is the mother figure he didn't have.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever had one of those days where you're just not loving this whole motherhood thing? It’s not that we’re ungrateful, or that we hate our child, but sometimes you hate being a parent. Today’s guest knows this feeling all too well. Dr Margo Lowy is a psychotherapist with a special interest in maternal ambivalence – an often taboo topic. Margo has a book out which explores this idea. It's called ‘The Maternal Experience: Encounters with Ambivalence and Love’ and she joins us to explore the idea that moments of hatred can enrich the love for your child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Mel sent her first child to daycare and made it into work, she sat in the toilet and cried. It felt so unnatural leaving a child with total strangers surrounded by other strange children. Would she eat? Would she sleep? Would they cuddle her if she cried? Was I the worst mother in the world?! To reassure you if you’re feeling any of the same things, we’ve found a former childcare worker who has some words of wisdom to share about your child and what happens when they’re in care (don't worry they're VERY well-loved!)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone is loving Pink’s new song Cover Me In Sunshine right now, it’s just the sunny joy that we all need right now. And that’s something Aussie singer Bob Evans aka Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell wanted to tap into with his new song Concrete Heart. Bob is also a dad of two and joins us to chat about how his work has been impacted by COVID and how losing his dad when he was a teenager has changed the way he parents his kids.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you're pregnant your body goes through incredible and often bizarre changes (pigmentation anyone?). You are growing a human after all. From stretch marks to saggy boobs, after you've had the baby, things are often not the way they once were! Mel and Sarah discuss the changes they experienced and how they feel about their bodies after having a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, former Detective Gary Jubelin – who worked on the William Tyrell case – opens up about the huge toll catching killers has taken on his family life. Dr Sarah Woodhouse joins us to talk about trauma and says we could be passing our own experiences onto our children. You’ll need a cup of tea to process this one. Jules Sebastian is with us and opens up about why she's talking about the biggest loss in her life. We’re joined by a speech pathologist who shares the signs your child might have a speech issue and how she manages her multiple side hustles. And Sarah and Mel talk about kids running away and how to handle it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you remember running away as a child? Feels like a right of passage. But it doesn't seem as sweet when your own child does it. Mel opens up about how her daughter has run away a couple of times and how stressful it is, while asking how it should be handled and what the consequences should be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sonia Bestulic has just a few balls in the air. She’s a speech pathologist and the founder of a clinic called Talking Heads. She’s also an award-nominated children’s author and host of the Chatabout Children podcast. And somehow, she manages to juggle all that plus three children just 2.5 years apart! Sonia joins us to reveal just how she does it and the powerful lesson she's learnt about self-care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While it may have appeared that Jules Sebastian has taken a backseat to her husband Guy's career, the presenter and stylist has always worked hard in the background and is now stepping into the spotlight at the age of 40. The mum of two boys is the host of Tea with Jules on YouTube, and now she’s added author to her CV with the launch of her first-ever book Tea & Honesty. And being honest is exactly what Jules does in this chat - from missteps as a mum to why she decided to open up about the grief of losing her brother.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In one way or another, we all carry some sort of trauma with us. In fact, up to 80% of women will experience a traumatic event at least once in their lives. It can manifest as anxiety, shame, depression, eating disorders and so much more. Leading us to repeat patterns of behaviour throughout our lives - often without us realising it. Research Psychologist and trauma specialist Dr Sarah Woodhouse is the author of You’re Not Broken and she joins us to chat about what trauma actually is and how we can unknowingly pass it onto our children.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are some jobs that would be impossible to leave at the door when you get home. After 34 years in the police and 25 years in homicide, retired Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin knows that all too well. Having spent his incredible career catching killers – including the high profile disappearance of William Tyrell – the emotional toll and impact on his family has been huge. Gary is now the host of the I Catch Killers podcast which is back for a whole new season, and he joins us now to open about the heartbreak of not getting the chance to catch William's killer and how he processes all the horrific things he's seen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Kate Langbroek opens up about how scary it was living in Italy during the pandemic and reveals her biggest parenting fail! Sarah and Mel talk about how to handle sibling rivalry – is that race to be first doing anyone else’s head in?! Miranda Kerr is on the line from the US and reveals the biggest lesson her late nan taught her as a mother. Camilla Freeman-Topper from design duo Camilla and Marc joins us to chat about the pain of losing her mother when she was just a teen to ovarian cancer. And there’s something special about the bond between mums and sons – Sarah and Mel talk about why that might be…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask any mum of a boy and she'll tell you there's something special about that bond. As mums of boys, Sarah and Mel talk about the connection they have with their sons and why they think it's so different to the way you interact with girls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Design duo and siblings Camilla and Marc have been kicking goals in the fashion world since 2003. Now, their focus has turned to raising funds for ovarian cancer research after losing their mum when they were just children. Last year, they launched the ‘Ovaries, let’s talk about them’ campaign which was so successful, it’s back again this year. Camilla opens up about how losing her mum changes how she parents and why she's so passionate about this worthy cause.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no denying Miranda Kerr has come a long way since her days growing up in Gunnedah country NSW! The mum-of-three boys is a hugely successful businesswoman, entrepreneur, model and author. She’s also super passionate about wellness as the Founder & CEO of organic skincare brand, KORA Organics, and ambassador for Biostime Nutrition. She joins us to chat about raising boys, that elusive work / life balance and the biggest thing her late nan taught her.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know bickering is a part of growing up - we would have driven our parents mad doing it - but gosh, it's hard to listen to! That rivalry over trivial things can drive you absolutely mental. So how do you deal with competitive kids who won't stop fighting? Sarah and Mel share their stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Langbroek is one of Australia’s most influential and loved media personalities with a career on TV and radio spanning decades (don’t you hate hearing your bio age you?!). Kate packed up her husband and four kids, and moved to Bologna, Italy for a “family gap year”, to live the dream that most of us, well, only dream about. Now she’s hosting a new show on Channel TEN which asks celebrities to reflect on the year ahead… and she joins us to reveals what the hell just happened in the past 12 months and shares her biggest parenting fail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Sarah and Mel talk about whether we’re pushing our irrational fears onto our kids (fruit salad anyone?!). We meet the mum of three who met her partner at the zoo and was engaged just eight months later… gorgeous animal fueled love story ahead… Lego master Maddy Tyers opens up about how she was 8 when she first developed an obsession with food. Rosie Aylifee shares the heartbreak of losing her daughter Mia while she was backpacking around Australia. And Sarah and Mel have a laugh about the perils of dating after divorce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No one ever gets married and has a family expecting for it to all fall apart, but sometimes that's the reality we're faced with. Dating often looks very different to what it did pre-kids, so Mel and Sarah share their funny and awkward stories about dating after divorce. Even if you're not in that situation, you can't help but laugh at this one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British woman Rosie Ayliffe’s daughter Mia was only 20 years old when she was fatally stabbed in a Queensland backpacker’s hostel in 2016. Mia was on a gap year in Australia and was attempting to complete 88 days of farm work – a requirement for a second-year working visa in Australia (known as a 417 Visa). When Rosie travelled to Australia to retrieve Mia’s body, she heard stories about the terrible, exploitative treatment of young workers like Mia, including reports of widespread sexual and financial exploitation of workers. Filled with grief and fury, Rosie decided to take a stand and began a years-long campaign to make sure no other parents would lose their children this way. Rosie has written a book called Far From Home about her fight for justice, and she joins us to share her story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maddy Tyers is an actress, YouTuber and one half of the husband-and-wife-duo who looked smashed it on Lego Masters a couple of years ago. But behind closed doors, the Melbourne-based children's entertainer has a heartbreaking past. She first developed an obsession with food at just 8 years of age, and now she’s written a book for tweens which she hopes will help teach them, their families and school to identify the signs of an eating disorder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest has so many incredible stories to share, it's hard to know where to start! Jen Tate’s love of animals took her around the world (you know, when we could), working as a tour guide in Antarctica, a horse riding trainer in Georgia, and many more incredible experiences before settling at Taronga Zoo in Sydney where she met her husband Ryan. Both are super passionate about animals, with Ryan proposing eight months after they met and marrying the following year. They went on to have three children, including twins, which almost killed Jen multiple times. She's now added published author to her list of achievements with a new book called How To Train Your Dog, which she somehow wrote while breastfeeding both babies. Total boss lady.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fear of spiders - perfectly normal. Fear of fruit salad - not so much! Sarah reveals that she has a life long fear of food touching each other (fruit salad being the main offender!), and she's worried she's passing that irrational fear onto her children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Sarah and Mel talk about how far you can push a threat with your kids (anyone else told to get out of the car and walk when they were kids?!) We chat with comedian Claire Hooper about why kids love bums so much. Model Robyn Lawley opens up about how her daughter makes her appreciate her body for what it does rather than how it looks. We meet the mums who turned their love of hacks into a successful business (and now book!). And the girls talk about our children's growing interest in their body - and others, and how to handle it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As children get older and become more aware of the world around them, they also become more aware of their bodies and how they compare to others. "Mummy, look my penis is big!", is a common cry from little boys. So how do you handle the increased interest in their bodies and comments about other people's bodies (often at very inopportune times!). Sarah and Mel share their stories and advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I love cleaning” said no mum ever. So praise be today’s guest who has found a way to cut down the time we spend cleaning and actually turned those hacks into a thriving business. Rachael and Karlie are the founders of the ‘Mums Who’ brand, which was started in 2017 when they connected on Facebook and bonded over their love of home organisation. They’ve now turned the brand into a thriving business with eleven separate Facebook groups covering everything from cooking to budgeting, with more than 300,000 highly active members. Now they can author to that impressive list of achievements with their new book ‘Mums Who Clean’. Karlie joins us to talk about how it all happened and shares her favourite hacks (they are actually genius).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a full-figured model, Robyn Lawley has never shied away from fighting for body-diversity in the fashion industry. She’s been working as a model since she was 15, appearing on the cover of Vogue and Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, now the mum of six-year-old Ripley is turning her talents to audio with a podcast called 'Every Body', about surviving and thriving in a body shaming world. She opens up about her recent epilepsy diagnosis, her 'weirdo' school friends, and how having a daughter changes how she looks at her body.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melbourne comedian and mum-of-two Claire Hooper loves a joke. Which is a good thing given she does it for a living. Now she’s turned her talent for LOLs to a kid’s book all about bums called 'Princess Benjamina Has A Very Cheeky Bum'. It’s basically one long bum joke that secretly teaches kids about acceptance and self-confidence, and it's excellent. Claire joins us to chat why kids are so obsessed with bums, why she wishes she could just say what she thinks, and the hell that was homeschooling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ah, haven't we all made threats to our children we know we're not going to keep?! 'No ipad for a MONTH!'. 'You're not going to that birthday party now', 'The Easter Bunny will not be coming'. Sound familiar? Sarah and Mel share some of the funny stories from their own childhoods (anyone else told to get out and walk?!) and discuss how far you can actually push things with your own kids.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Sarah and Mel talk about what to do if you think your child might have a speech delay. We get some advice from sleep expert Steph Gouin around juggling toddler sleep issues and work. We met the dad who started a trans swimwear line for his daughter. Former AFLW star Moana Hope joins us to chat about juggling motherhood, full-time work and caring for her sister Vinny. And Sarah and Mel candid about when to talk to your kids about puberty and sex.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little kids can be very inquisitive, so how early should you start to lay the foundation for conversations about sex and puberty? And is there such a thing as too early? Mel and Sarah share their (often hilarious and awkward) stories about navigating these conversations and how to do it in an age-appropriate way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moana Hope started playing AFL as a seven-year-old, and with no girls league to play in, she started playing senior women's football at just thirteen. She went on to play professionally in the AFL Women’s league for three years, and competed in Survivor and Survivor All Stars. One of 14 siblings she is the full-time carer for younger sister Lavinia, who has a rare neurological disorder. She recently married model Isabella Carlstrom and they had their first child, a little girl via IVF at the end of last year. She opens up about juggling work and broken sleep, giving back and what she wants her daughter to know about equality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As parents, we all want to see our kids feel comfortable and confident in who they are. And if that’s hard for kids who fall into conventional categories, imagine what it’s like for the kids who don’t. Canadian dad Jamie Alexander has a transgender daughter called Ruby. He couldn’t find swimwear that would suit his 12-year-old girl, so he decided to create his own. Jamie joins us to share this wonderful story and the difference it's making to trans children all around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does it sometimes feel like every time you have a big day coming up at work, your toddler has a nightmare night’s sleep? You end up dragging yourself into work wondering how on earth you're going to string two words together. It's like they come with some sort of crazy ability to read your calendar and really push you to your limits! After the first 12 months of a baby’s life, you think you should be getting more sleep - but that’s not always the case. We’re joined today by Steph Gouin who is a Baby and Child Sleep Consultant, a Registered Nurse of over 15 years and mum to three beautiful children for some valuable advice to making sure the whole family is sleeping well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.