The Juggling Act

This week, we talked about religion and whether children should be able to find their own faith… we caught up with cybercop Yasmin London to find out whether Tik Tok really is the devil it’s made out to be. Josh Pyke called in to talk about his fears around raising mixed race children in Australia and the beautiful new song he wrote for his boys – You’re My Colour. Author Mim Jenkinson opened up about how to tell if your drinking is out of control… And I’ve got some God Damn potty-mouthed kids on my hands! How the bloody hell do you deal with that?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Around the age of 5, kids become fascinated with potty language (hello, Captain Underpants!) or any word that gets a reaction from us. My kids have somehow become obsessed with the S word and the F word (not that my 5yo even knows what they are), oh and the 'middle finger'. It's so hard to shield them from it. My 8yo comes home from school asking what certain words mean, and I heard a song playing on our home device the other day that had swearing in it. So what should you do if your kids develop a mouth like a trucker? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When this whole Covid thing kicked off I was definitely drinking more than usual, like a lot of people. But I’m glad to say that lately I’ve cut right back to two or three nights a week and feel much better for it. I know at one stage I did worry that I was drinking too much, but I never felt like it was out of control. So how do you know if you're drinking just a bit more than usual, or if it’s become something more serious? Well, Mim Jenkinson is a mum-of-two and a small business owner who hid her problem with alcohol from everyone - except her husband. She was so impressed by the reaction she got when she finally shared her story on social that she wrote a book about it, called ‘Less wine, more time’. It wasn’t easy, but she says, it’s the best decision she ever made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When singer Josh Pyke and his Vietnamese-Australian wife Sarah had children, it was really important to them that their boys were are aware of both their parents’ cultures, as was bringing music into their lives. He wrote his latest single You’re My Colour for his boys, and oh, heart melt. Josh joins us on the show to chat about how they juggled isolation and his greatest fear for his boys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of times I’ve heard friends complain about the kids and their ipads. They’re a damn blessing and a curse. As much as I thought I’d never struggle to stay across technology, it’s incredible how quickly kids pick up on something that we know nothing about – yes Roblox, I’m looking at you… like what even is that game?! And don’t get my started on Tik Tok. Despite the fact that I can’t even work out how to use it, SHOULD we be using it?! We put in a call to mum and former police officer turned 'cybercop' Yasmin London to find out how we can keep our kids safe online and whether Tik Tok really is the devil it's made out to be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Religion, it's a divisive topic. Both Sarah and I grew up going to church and Sunday school with our families, and now that we've got our children, it got us thinking about the role religion will play in their lives. But is it something that we should decide for them now by taking them to church, or should they be allowed to choose their own faith (if at all) when they're older? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we talked about the FOGO of heading back to work and whether you can tell off another person’s child. We were also joined by soon to be mumma Jules Robinson who got very candid about the unspoken change of pregnancy (hint, it happens when you laugh or sneeze unexpectedly). We also chatted to mediation guru Luke McLeod for some great tips to help us manage our return to the office anxiety, and an incredible mum who wrote a children’s book about having tough conversations with our kids about scary things on the news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A total stranger offered to tell my son off the other day because I'd spent 15 minutes trying to get him in the car. I agreed, then felt equal parts grateful and awkward! Even though we know it's well-intentioned, it does feel uncomfortable when someone else tells off your child (and vice versa). So is it generally okay? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been really interesting to see how kids have responded to all of the major events this year - bushfires, black lives matter and a global pandemic (and that's enough now okay, thanks world.) I’ve let my kids dictate any conversations around these topics and tried to answer in an age-appropriate way, but it can be difficult to know what to say or even if that's the right approach. Mum-of-two from the Gold Coast Alicia Millier faced the same problem earlier in the year, so she decided to do something to help support parents and educate kids. Prompted by the bushfires, she wrote a book called Mummy, The Bush Is On Fire, that aims to help us start those tough conversations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah and I went back into the office for the first time last week, and we were both really surprised by the anxiety that came with returning to the real world. Being back around strangers again in an uncontrolled environment, getting public transport and just generally venturing out of our little bubble. I’m not normally an anxious person but this pandemic has – understandably – made it very difficult for a lot of us to stay rational and calm. So I put in a call to mediation and mindfulness teacher Luke McLeod to see if he can give us some advice on managing that return to the office anxiety. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pelvic floor struggle is real people. And I think I’m one of the lucky ones. I had an emergency caesarean and then a planned C-section, so let’s just say things are in slightly better shape than they might have otherwise been! But that doesn’t mean I’m back to my former trampoline jumping days, or sneezing without worrying what the fall out (literally) is going to be. Look I’m getting pretty candid here, but honestly, why aren’t we talking more about things that impact so many women? One mumma-to-be who is keen to get those taboo conversations happening is former MAFS bride Jules Robinson. In this ep, Jules gets candid about the unspoken changes of pregnancy and dealing with online trolls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both Sarah and I returned to the office last night and it was very weird. I was too scared to touch anything on the train, if someone coughed they got daggers, there are new signs all over the place and I was surprised by how anxious I felt - especially since I'd actually been looking forward to the social aspect. It's called re-entry syndrome, and it's something a lot of working parents are experiencing right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I returned to work this week for the first time in four months, and it was totally weird. There was no one in here the first day and I felt like a total leper on the train coming in. Day two was slightly better, but now I’ve got FOMO for my old working from home life (look there’s no pleasing some people). But spare a thought for the people returning from mat leave after an extended period, only to head back to work – from home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I remember when I went back to work after my first child and I wondered how on earth I was going to concentrate and actually keep my job. I was so damn tired. I even wore two different black heels to work on my first day. Yup, nailing that return to work. It honestly felt like she had some sort of direct feed into my work calendar because without fail, she would have a nightmare night right before I had a massive day planned at work. What’s with that?! Getting your little one sleeping well when you’re back at work is crucial (you know, to not getting fired). So I reached out to pediatric nurse and infant sleep specialist, Francesca Kendall, who is also the founder The Sleep Escape, to debunk some sleep myths and helps our little ones develop healthy sleep habits so we can all stay employed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I headed back into the office today for the first time in four months, but I have a feeling that it won’t be for long. Melbourne is currently in lockdown and partaking in the joy of home-schooling, and it feels like Sydney won’t be far behind. As we all know, homeschooling has been the worst. It's been impossible to get anything done with kids around. American journalist, Helen Rosner, started a storm on Twitter recently when she shared a perfect, hilarious note, wordlessly handed to her friend by her daughter, while they were both in lockdown. ‘David Poopt in his pans’. Just what you want to read while you’re trying to negotiate a video conference. The simple tweet set off a cavalcade of mums and dads sharing similar stories from WFH life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, along with many working parents across the country, I’m feeling a sense of dread about my bank balance. The temporary free childcare lifeline has been yanked from us, with the industry moving back to its expensive former model yesterday. Over the past few months my hours have been temporarily reduced – and I already only work four days because of the cost of care – and that was only just manageable because I wasn’t paying childcare fees. I know the move is a welcome relief for the childcare sector that’s been impacted by the hasty policy, but to think we can just go straight back to how things were pre-pandemic while we’re still in the middle of an economic crisis, is utter madness and totally short-sighted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been so lovely to see the kids back at school and around their friends and teachers again as the restrictions around COVID lifted for most of the country. But for thousands of sick Aussie kids, this hasn’t been the case. One mum witnessed this first hand, when her once vibrant ten-year-old son missed school for almost two years with rare blood disorders. She had to watch as he deteriorated through lack of contact with his friends and tutors, when the hospital became his school. So Megan Gilmore wanted to do something about it, show him that he had a future and a life worth living, and also change the lives of the other sixty thousand children who are sitting at home or hospital right now, disconnected from their school community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you all know, my little family spent a month down in Victoria with my parents at the start of the first lockdown period to have some support with homeschooling and working from home. Now they’re going through it all over again as a second wave of Covid sweeps through Melbourne. All my family are down there and so many friends, who are all really struggling to process another six weeks in isolation. As I sit here in Sydney, still able to go down to the shops, send my kids to care, and catch up with friends, I can only imagine the emotions they’re all going through down south. So, I reached out to a bunch of working parents in Melbourne to find out exactly how they’re feeling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sitting at the kitchen table on a dining chair WFH has done shocking things to my neck and shoulders, I believe my massage therapists words on the weekend were, ‘your neck is not good…’ And it turns out ‘tech neck’ is just one of the problems we have to look forward to if we continue to work from home long term. A team of researchers created a fictional character called Susan, who represents what the average desk worker could look like in 25 years if we don’t change the way we’re working from home. Hunched shoulders, weight gain, hair loss and eye strain could all be common issues with our bed-to-desk commute, general lack of movement and decrease in exposure to sunlight. That’s a pretty picture right?! But some people are calling BS on this research, claiming they have found that they’re looking after themselves better while working from home. So I reached out to a bunch of working parents to see how they feel about the Susan of the future! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Somedays I just feel like I’m on a treadmill that I can’t get off. Get up, feed small people, try to get ready (lucky bras and make up are off the table right now), get them to school / care, work, try to exercise, try to eat properly, sleep, repeat. My wellbeing usually comes last, and it’s just exhausting. So I reached out to the divine Tiff Hall – founder of online health and fitness program tiffxo for some guidance on how to press the reset button and break this cycle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t feel like I’ve been putting that much more food in my mouth since isolation started and I’ve actually been exercising more, but somehow those nasty Covid kilos have crept up on me - specifically around the booty area. So I put in a desperate call to nutritionist, exercise scientist and mother-of-two Brooke Turner to find out where I’m going wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I feel like those angry parenting ads are constantly popping up in my Facebook feed. Like is Zuckerberg actually listening to me lose my mind at my kids? I know we all do it. They push and push and push until we yell, then we feel bad and vow to try and find a way to keep our cool. But this parenting gig is damn hard. They push buttons we never thought we had. As they get older I think I’m getting a little bit better at it, but I really wish I could be super chill all the time. Work, life, money, they all add to the stress of life and sometimes that just feels like an impossible goal. One mum who is also trying to find her ‘Zen’ is actress and mum of three Teresa Palmer. She’s actually written a book about it with her friend and co-founder of the popular blog Zen Mumma, Sarah Wright Olsen. It’s called 'Zen Mamas' and is all about trying to help us through pregnancy, birth and beyond. So I asked Teresa to give me some advice on how I can try to attain some ‘Zen’, or least strive for a bit of ‘Zen-ish’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look I’m not a gym person, I only started going a year ago after I had knee surgery. So it was really only out of necessity. But I know they’re a sanctuary for a lot of working parents who need a break and to do something for themselves. I’ve also really felt for all the gyms going under during Covid, I’ve heard so many stories of businesses that just couldn’t afford to ride things out and it's just crushing. One that managed to stay afloat by pivoting VERY quickly, is Flow Athletic in Sydney. It’s run by Ben Lucas who is also a dad of two little ones with his journalist wife Talitha Cummins - a previous guest on The Juggling Act. So I reached out to him to find out how he kept his business running with the Covid closures, especially with two little people at home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve had a great break from all the extra-curricula activities that kids do, and it’s been nice not to spend weekends rushing from one thing to the next. But things are starting to kick off again (pun intended) and while I’m dreading standing out in the cold at 9.30 on Saturday morning as my daughter TRIES to play netball, she’s super excited. Mostly about wearing the uniform which I get, it is cute. I grew up in a sporting household and it taught me so many things - Resilience, teamwork, confidence, social skills, and yup, a competitive streak. So it’s something I’m encouraging in my kids too. One person who totally gets that is sports journalist and mum of two girls Sam Squiers. When Sam had her first daughter, she wanted to find a book about girls in sport to read her and couldn’t find any – so she wrote one herself! I’ve read it to both my kids and they loved it, so I reached out to Sam to find out a bit more behind why it’s important to send a powerful message to girls about sport from an early age. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing children's pictures on social is something everyone has an opinion on, and before I had my first child, my husband was pretty vocal about us not showing pictures once the baby arrived. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get it. But I decided that if he was that passionate about it, then, of course, I wouldn’t do it, but I wasn’t quite sure why it meant so much. In time my husband changed his mind and now we both put up photos but I didn’t get his initial issue… Recently I posted a pic with my youngest sitting in the pram, with two fingers firmly shoved up his nose, joking that he wasn’t destined to be an astrophysicist. One person asked me about my son’s rights in this situation. Was it fair to not only post pictures of him when he’s too young to say he’s ok with it, but pictures that show him in an unflattering light? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know that women generally take on the lion's share of domestic duties within the household. Sure, we may have come a long way since the days of Suzie homemaker having the house spotless to greet her breadwinner husband at the door with a martini in hand, but many will argue that not enough has progressed in terms of gender equality over the last few decades. Well turns out we may now have the global pandemic to thank for changing all that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I was growing up I always wanted to be a presenter on Play School. True story. I used to make my siblings act out stories with me and all our stuffed toys, while my parents taped us on the old Sony camcorder. Then I’d watch them over and over, thinking of ways I could improve my 'performance'. From there my dream moved onto acting, before my dad in no uncertain terms told me that I’d starve if I chose that as a profession because I would never make any money. Not sure if he was being practical or doubting my talent…. Anyway, one person who did follow her dream of becoming an actor is author and mum-of-two Anna Downes. I tore through her debut novel The Safe Place last weekend, and it’s been a while since I read a book that I just couldn’t put down. So I asked if she would share more about her story with us, how she quit her dream job to write, and how it ultimately ended up saving her life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confession time. I’m panicking about the email we just got saying we have to return to the office. Yup, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually anxious about going back to the workplace - I'm kind of liking it now. It was difficult in the beginning when we didn’t know how long we were going to be working from home (I love how that even has an acronym now – you WFH? – yeah, few months…). Now I’m struggling to process actually being back around people and in proper work clothes. And getting public transport, around actual people. If you’re feeling a bit the same and wondering what your rights are around returning to work and flexible work arrangements, well I reached to Alison Dutton, principal solicitor and founder at Labour Pains Legal to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Babysitting is an interesting job because I think most of us have done it and were probably very young the first time. I mean, I remember looking after a family friend’s kids at night… and they would have been about 2 and 5. I was 16. At the time I thought nothing of it… We have had a few babysitters since the boys were born, and from around the 6-week mark with each, because I was back to work quite quickly. They’ve all been lovely but a serious mix in age and experience. Funnily enough though, there has been a point with each of them (regardless of their age or anything else) when I have of course wondered what was going on when I wasn’t there… and I've actually worked myself into such a stress that I’ve contemplated using a hidden camera to check on them. So is that ever okay? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like a lot of people, I’ve spent the past three months wearing nothing but uggs and trainers, so the idea of putting heels back on is just painful - in so many ways. I have a couple of pairs of flats that I wear but I really struggle to find shoes that are comfortable and don’t rub at the back. The struggle is real people. Then I came across an amazing Melbourne based mum, Katrina Verso, who the same issue and decided to do something about it. When she was on mat leave with her first child she quit her job, took the leap of faith and started her own shoe business, determined to make the perfect, comfortable flat! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I want to talk to you about school and daycare, and when you should get involved if you see some bad behavior from other children. My eldest has been in daycare for about 18 months now, and absolutely loves going. That was until about a month ago when I noticed a mouth shaped bruise on his arm. It was definitely a bite mark. No doubt about it. I asked him and he calmly revealed that one of the kids had bitten him. He didn’t seem worried so I let it go, and in all honestly I thought biting was just part of kids being kids. The problem is that this biting was suddenly a big issue for us… and growing bigger by the week. I was quite literally struggling to get William to go to school. They are a small organisation and fabulous educators and carers… but what are my rights as a parent, to get involved? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tax time is fast approaching and I don’t envy people working at the ATO right now! July 1 also means that the government can start the process of balancing family assistance payments. What that means is that they take a look at our Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and now Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments to make sure families got paid the right amount during the year. Yeah, hurts my head too. So I put in a call (and didn’t wait on hold for an hour) to Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen to explain everything that we need to know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve been seriously lacking in energy since working from home. Every day I put on my activewear in the hope that it might trick my brain and body into being you know, active. But most of the time it doesn’t work. I keep telling myself I’m going to go for a run. Okay, a walk. Or do an online workout. But something else always (conveniently) pops up that’s more urgent. I’m also eating more of the kid’s snacks that I wouldn’t normally touch when I’m in the office. So the Covid kilos are slowly creeping on! I need help. So I reached out to Sam Wood to get some ideas on healthy practises for the whole family that are easy to achieve when you just don’t have the time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My 8 year-old daughter hacked my Instagram. She got into my phone and shared a delightful video of herself and her friend, welcoming everyone to ‘her’ Instagram page. Honestly, this generation are so digitally savvy and it feels like they’ve become even more so during Covid when we’ve been on screens more using technology to stay in touch with family and friends. While I thought I could stay on top of this quickly changing landscape and know the difference between Tik Tok and Musical.ly, I feel like their knowledge is quickly surpassing mine. They’ll be rolling their eyes at me as I try to video call someone on Roblox in no time…So with Facebook’s kid's messenger service taking off and kids wanting to start their own YouTube channels or play Fortnite, how do we keep them safe and help them make the right decisions about their digital footprint and who they can talk to online? I put in a call to Colin Anson, the CEO of pixevety, a leading child image protection app developed in Australia for some advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I wanted to talk about second children (and thirds and fourths and fifths – if you’re really game). I’m keen to know if we really are more chilled with each kid, or if we are just being lazy? Like most parents, I am bloody knackered. It’s nothing unique, but since the kids arrived my husband and I have pretty much slept terribly and aged dramatically. I use this as a justification for most of my parenting and life fails… leaving the hand-break on when driving, letting my kids wear clothes from the dirty laundry pile… serving weet bix for dinner… I was told things would be easier with multiple kids because you’re so much more relaxed than when you have your first, but I’ve started to worry that my version of chilled, is just plain lazy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from home in my track pants and slippers, eating and drinking more than I should and letting the exercise routine slip has left me feeling pretty meh. Kidding, I never had an exercise routine. Anyway. I think iso has left us all feeling a bit squishy around the edges and not our best selves. Or maybe that’s just me?! I tried out a new burlesque workout at home recently and while it was actually really fun, I was about as far from JLO in Hustlers as it’s possible to be. It was not sexy. So I reached out to mum-of-two Melony Cherrett, the founder of the burlesque-inspired workout Fitesque for some tips on how we can get our confidence and sexy back after iso. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us have now got the taste for working from home. And while I personally struggled in the beginning, now, I kinda like it. Obviously there’s the slippers and trackies element, but removing the commute time has also meant I can walk my kids to school and daycare each day AND sleep later (if they let me), hang out a load of washing, prep dinner so the kids don’t tear my face off when they walk in the door, and juggle life admin much easier (come on, I’m not the only one who has ducked out for appointments during the day…). Now that restrictions are easing and some workplaces are opening their doors again, how can you convince your boss to allow you to continue working from home? I got two career experts to share their tips to help you swap your suits for sweats on an ongoing basis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past couple of months on this daily Corona pod, I’ve spoken about feeling like I’m having panic attacks that I’ve never experienced before, and generally heightened levels of stress and anxiety. I know it’s something a lot of working parents have been feeling and are still feeling to varying degrees. So I’m officially declaring today ‘stress-free Friday’. Yup, today, you are not allowed to stress. Stress be gone. You have my permission to tell stress to eff right off. No space for you in our lives today. To help you do that, I put in a call to meditation and mindfulness teacher Luke Mcleod and asked him to share some calming practices and some quick things to do to help recognise that you’re starting to feel stress and how to bring those stress levels down. If you feel like your muscles are tight, your breathing is shallow and your forehead is scrunched up, then pop yourself down somewhere quiet and comfortable, and take these next few minutes for yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know how tough the isolation period has been, and look, screen time rules have well and truly slipped in most households. Homeschooling combined with parents trying to work from home, has meant a LOT more Minecraft and endless episodes of My Little Pony. I know I’m not the only one… But now that restrictions are lifting, it’s time to take back control and swap all that screen time for some green time. There’s no doubting the benefits of kids getting outside in nature. It can enhance their creativity, lower stress, improve their mood, mental sharpness, well-being and productivity, help them build better social connections, and promote physical activity. It also has helps children learn, probably a lot more than watching Spanish kid’s unwrap stuff on YouTube… So, I’ve found some ways to help you get your kids put down the device and head out into nature’s classroom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thinking back to the first week we went into isolation and I thought I’d never get used to working from home, having the kids around, and just generally adjusting to the new normal we found ourselves in, with little warning. I was stressing about hand sanitiser, children’s Panadol and yup, the great toilet paper shortage. Now, nearly three months later, and I’m feeling anxious about the kids being back in school full time, using public transport again and heading back to the office. Turns out there’s a name for that anxiety. Psychologists call this feeling reverse culture shock, or re-entry syndrome. It's the same as the feeling you might have when you’ve been living overseas for a while and you return home. Unfortunately, we can’t just click our fingers and pick up where we left off. So I reached out to psychologist Belinda Williams from The Bumpy Road to find out a bit more about it and what we can do to help our families adjust. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are slowing starting to come out of isolation after two months, so you’ve probably well and truly run out of things to do with the kids! We all know that sometimes playing with kids can be boring and sometimes we’re just too damn tired to glue another paddle pop stick or race cars. Do kids care? Hell, no! Kids want to play, regardless of how their parents feel. All. The. Time. I know my idea of a good time right now is locking myself in a room on my own with a glass of wine and a book, but if you want to spend time with the family, here’s a couple of ideas that will be fun for you, and also require the smallest amount of energy possible. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was was daughter’s 8th birthday on Friday and now I’m preparing for my son’s tomorrow. Four days. That wasn’t smart planning. I am far from a Martha homemaker, craft, cooking, entertaining, just not my jam. So I dread the double birthday panic each year. This year however, I have an excellent excuse to dial things back. Like right back! I’ve loved hearing how families have been getting created with their kid’s birthdays over the past couple of months. Drive-by birthday wishes, zoom parties, pinata’s for one. The way that everyone has been able to make their little one's day special in isolation has been so beautiful. Now we’re starting to come out of restrictions and I know the kids are itching for a party! So they’re having three friends in the park with a cake, and individual snack bags. Boom. And we’re done. BUT, there’s still that dreaded C word. No not that one. Cake. The mere thought makes me break out in a cold sweat. So this year I got smart. I got myself a cake coach. Sort of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t know about you but I’m totally guilty of trying to be superwoman. The best teacher, colleague, boss, partner, chef, cleaner, the list goes on and on (and we’re the only ones crossing things off it). Why are so many working mums obsessed with proving that we can do it all? We know it’s not really achievable but we still seem to hold ourselves, and others – to these incredibly high expectations. I’m pretty sure if I served the kids vegemite on toast or weetbix for dinner, they’d be okay. If the house wasn’t perfectly tidied at the end of each day, the walls wouldn’t fall down. If we skip homework one night, it won’t stop them from getting into university. But the guilt stops me from doing any of those things. And as I sit here with my shoulders and back aching, tired from another night of stressing about ‘what ifs’, I wonder when on earth I unwittingly joined ‘the cult of intensive motherhood’ as author Felicity Harley calls it. Her new book ‘Balance & other BS’ landed on my kitchen table back in April and it perfectly sums up the past few months for many working mums. So I reached out to the mum-of-three, to find out why we do this to ourselves… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I feel like I’ve been doing an awful lot of sitting since I’ve been working from home. I get the kids to school and daycare then sit. All day. In the one spot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely spot in the winter sun, but my thighs are not thanking me for it and I’m struggling to get motivated now that it’s getting colder outside. So I put in a call to fitness goddess and founder of 12-week body transformation Michelle Bridges to find out how she’s been handling iso and to get some tips to try and get my health back on track. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Financially, times are tough for a lot of people right now. To try and help ease the burden, the government announced quicker turnaround and less stringent conditions for people wanting to access their superannuation. As soon as that was announced, 600,000 people registered their intent to apply. As of the end of April, the Australian Tax Office had approved over 450,000 applications worth a total of $3.8 billion dollars. That cash hits peoples accounts within five days. You might be thinking about applying yourself, but before you do, I reached out to Lacey Filipich, Founder and Director of Money School to find out the pros and cons of withdrawing your super early. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How divine is Emma Watkins, otherwise known as Emma Wiggle? I mean she’s bubbly, talented, keeps our kids entertained, wears a bow in her hair ten times better than Jo Jo Siwa, and somehow manages to look fabulous in yellow. That’s a gift. But it turns out she has a weakness, she can’t cook! I think she’s basically my spirit animal. You know, except for the singing and dancing part. And the yellow. Blondes can't wear yellow. I caught up with Emma about how The Wiggles have managed to pivot during Covid to stay connected with their audience and what she’s been doing in quarantine… prepare yourselves for a massive overload of cuteness! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right across the country, we’ve seen small businesses pivoting just to stay afloat. Gin producers making hand sanitiser, pubs doing takeaway meals and even a plant nursery offering drive-through purchases. It’s a tough time across the board with revenue heavily impacted and unimaginable pressures put on businesses that they didn’t see coming. If you’re a small-business owner, you’ve probably been trying to work out how to keep staff, hold onto your customers and trying the best you can to future proof your income because things are probably going to get worse before they get better. So I reached out to Lisa Burling, the Founder of award-winning PR agency LBPR, and author of ‘All It Takes Is A little Gumption’, to get some tips to help your business not only survive, but thrive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So it’s Friday, we made it to the end of the week jugglers, whoop! And cause things have been pretty grim, I thought we could all do with a laugh. Parenting sometimes feels like a repetitive cycle of gradually morphing into your own mother, realising what's happening, trying to fight it and eventually giving in. So, I had to laugh when I read about a moment a mum on Twitter shared, in which her kid imitated her to perfection. It set off an avalanche of similar hilarious stories, which I had to share with you. Sick burn kids, sick burn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of June, parents are facing the prospect of paying childcare fees again. As we all know, in April, the government put an emergency plan in place to save centres as parents starting pulling their kids in droves because of the pandemic. Hallelujah, working parents finally felt seen and valued. Education minister Dan Tehan recently said the plan had “done its job” with 99% of services remaining open, and most providers saying the emergency response has helped with financial viability. But with many parents now out of work, on reduced incomes or facing the threat of job loss, surely we run the risk of it collapsing again if childcare doesn’t remain free? Personally, after 7 years of childcare costs – four of those for two kids – these past two months have been a massive financial relief BUT, I also don’t want my son’s incredible preschool to go under. It’s a really divisive issue, so I reached out to some working mums to see how they feel about paying childcare fees again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is one demographic who has been hit hardest by the global pandemic shutdown, and that’s women. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, more than 235,000 women became unemployed in April, which equates to 55 percent of jobs lost. Nearly a million Australians have now been impacted. It feels almost daily that I hear of another friend or colleague who has been made redundant, and as a working parent, the stakes are even higher when you’ve got little mouths to feed. But if you have been affected, there are some things you can do to prepare yourself for a return to a new normal. I reached out to Katrine Tully from Career Transform to get some valuable tips. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.