Parenting Out Loud

How soon is too soon to return to work after having a baby? Netballer Paige Hadley was back on the court ten weeks postpartum — and the internet had thoughts . Monique, Amelia, and Clare unpack why we all have so much to say about other women's postpartum choices. If you've ever given up on pairing the kids' sock or let them quit that extracurricular activity — you might be a 'Beta Mum...

Naming a person is a challenge—but one Melbourne family has made their relatives compete for the privilege of a surname. This week Monz, Stacey and Amelia are talking about the Melbourne couple who settled their surname debate with a best-of-three rock-paper-scissors showdown. So, should we be making all family decisions via a game of competitive Jenga from now on? Plus, the school holiday r...

Have school photos become redundant? This week, Monz, Stacey and Amelia are unpacking the $180 million industry that's preys on nostalgia, guilt and the trust that no parent wants to be the one to opt out, despite their phones overflowing with perfectly good pictures of their kids.  Plus, an Aussie influencer sparked a firestorm after leaving her baby in a hotel room to grab a quick massage,...

This week, Monz, Amelia and Stacey explore the ‘performance’ of public parenting, inspired by Elin Strong’s viral article. So, are you actually parenting for the other people at the park? If the answer is yes, you might be a popcorn mum. The swaddling fail by TV’s favourite doctor has ignited a firestorm amongst fans of medical drama  The Pitt and we have thoughts. Als...

This week, Monique, Amelia, and Stacey are discussing the ‘Jessica’ hack gone slightly awry. We talked about it. Our listeners tried it, and some of the results were…spooky. So, why has even Jessica Biel weighed in on this viral trend? Also, we unpack the YouTube-ification of Netflix and why Danny Goh and Miss Rachel are suddenly taking over our Netflix profiles. We dive into th...

This week, Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks and Amelia Lester unpack the 'max 3-hour mum' theory. That’s how long Skims co-founder and Kardashian-adjacent CEO Emma Grede thinks women should spend with their kids each day on weekends. We discuss whetther the mother of four's ‘quality over quantity’  approach is genius - or missing the point. Also, is kids’ sport officially...

We’re unpacking the 'parenting rule' that blew up the comments section this week: While the kids are awake, you come last. The Internet had thoughts and so do Monique Bowley, Clare Stephens and Amelia Lester. So, does putting yourself  first actually make you a better parent? Plus, we look at the the Barbie Dream Fest — or as the internet is calling it, Fyre Festival for toddlers....

Have you ever seen a video online that made you feel like you were failing at a job you didn't even apply for? Welcome to parenting in 2026. This week, Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks and special guest, Clare Stephens, are diving into a viral trend romanticising the bond between young siblings—and it's left some only-child parents feeling a little judged. Plus, we discuss the basketball coach w...

Today, the rise of the Gen Alpha CEO is officially in full swing as Victoria Beckham’s daughter, Harper Seven, launches a beauty brand at 13. Monz, Stacey and Amelia ask at what point we decided teenagers need a corner office and a dedicated PR team instead of just... a hobby. Plus, is ‘bagsing’ a spot in the playground slide queue ever acceptable, or have we officially lost our...

Move over "conscious uncoupling". Divorce is getting a rebrand. This week, Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks and Amelia Lester unpack Hollywood Actor Lake Bell’s unconventional approach to explaining her split to her kids. So, why is she banning the word ‘but,’ and is she onto something? Plus, Australian influencer Indy Clinton has gone viral for struggling with her sons kindergarten...

Young Millennials and Gen Z are currently spiralling over the ultimate 'Why Now?' question: To procreate, or not to procreate? To help, they’ve resurrected an unlikely guru from the 1980s — Merle Bombardieri — whose decades-old 'Rocking Chair Test' is currently trending as the ultimate fix for biological-clock-induced brain rot. We unpack whether a 40-year-old therapy book can ac...

Parents of children who are 'short sleepers' — kids genetically programmed to survive on four hours of rest (and pure chaos) — we see you. We unpack the science on Parenting Out Loud this week of why some kids are simply 'built different'... and why the rest of us are drowning in caffeine. Plus, we need to talk about the fetishisation of the 'Involved Father'. From Chris Hemsworth&rsqu...

This week, Stacey Hicks, Amelia Lester, and guest host Clare Stephens are diving into the 'beige food' epidemic and why modern snack culture might be to blame for your toddler’s refusal to eat anything that isn’t plain pasta or chicken nuggets. And we discuss the the emotional cost of being an 'easy kid'. If you were the child who always got a gold star, never made a fuss, and now find...

This week on Parenting Out Loud, we're joined again by Luca Lavigne, so of course things went off without a hitch. 👀 Stacey Hicks, Amelia Lester and Luca are here to unpack the rise of 'Trimester Zero,' and why the over-optimisation of parenting our kids is officially getting out of hand.  Plus, is the art of 'gathering' officially dead? Are we too scared of judgement, toddler tantrums and m...

Is a mum's job ever done? That's the question that's come off the back of a viral moment from the Wuthering Heights press tour after its star Jacob Elordi was spotted doing something that has everyone talking. Monz, Stacey, and special guest Luca Lavigne debate whether this red carpet incident was a sweet moment for Jacob and his mum or... totally gross.  Plus, Claire Danes just said the quie...

Michelle Obama spoke about a very specific kind of reality check on the  Call Her Daddy podcast: the exact moment you realise you’re no longer the main character in your child’s life. Monz is feeling this deeply and Amelia and Stacey unpack precisely why it hits so hard. Plus, a viral video of an airport lounge meltdown has us asking whether we've lost the ability to handle confli...

The Brooklyn Beckham family drama that's been all over the news and in our group chats this week has us questioning where 'doing your best' ends and maternal control begins. We unpack the power dynamics of the family unit and why the internet is obsessed with a 26-year-old finally finding his voice. Plus, from "Make Whole Milk Great Again" to the sudden arrival of Autistic Barbie, we’re look...

Are you an intensive millennial parent who feels stressed and burnt out? This week, we introduce the “Click Test,” which Amelia claims will change parenting for the better. Meanwhile, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell are taking an unconventional approach — why they are raising their children to be "intentionally disrespectful".  Plus, Monz had a park fight with a man who told he...

Parenting comes with big ideas, cultural moments and the occasional guilty pleasure, and this week we’re unpacking all three. Are fancy lollies the new Labubus? Stacey thinks this might be another sign adults are craving whimsy. Plus, Amelia has declared Bluey’s dad Bandit a certified DILF, and we dig into why hot dads are suddenly everywhere. And finally, Monz asks the hard question:...

Friends, do you too have a box of keepsakes? Perhaps teeny tiny socks, some pre-school era artworks, maybe even some  old baby teeth or twenty? Well your parents might have been a collector and we pitch that perhaps there’s some truth to this form of maximalism.  Plus, are we rushing kids out of childhood? Experts are saying that to delay delay delay when it comes to kids&rsqu...

Happy Holidays Parents! Are you having fun, are you a bit sweaty, dehydrated? Well don’t be, because today we're going to talk about: The mental health pyramid for both kids and adults that is both genius and incredibly simple. Plus, should you be able to choose who you sit next to on a flight and if so, would you ever sit next to a stranger’s baby again? And, do you have shameful litt...

The Christmas rush has officially brought a new generational conflict: Grandparenting on Eggshells. We unpack the tension between teaching kids bodily autonomy and avoiding the Grandma guilt trip. Plus, where did all the weird kids go? Monique Bowley, Amelia Lester and Stacey Hicks blame late-stage capitalism, social media surveillance, and a collective fear of deviance for the new conformity epid...

Is the ultimate parenting flex actually… no gifts at all? Because according to The Cut , Millennial parents now fall into two dramatic camps: Camp Maximalist: “Here’s every toy that's ever been produced.” Camp Minimalist: “Your present is… presence.” Meanwhile, gentle parenting has officially been cancelled. After a viral post dragged the whole “bo...

Uh-oh. The Wiggles are in hot water after popping up in a video with some 'unusual' lyrics — and it’s forcing us to ask what we really expect from children’s entertainers. We’re also calling out the new under-16 social media laws as this generation’s 'seatbelt moment': a long-overdue, system-wide safeguard for kids’ developing brains. Plus, the problem with nost...

Science has finally established the perfect age gap for siblings, but who is this helping? One of our hosts hates it more than others.  And it's the Wicked elephant in the room: Hollywood's return to extreme thinness is prompting us to question what's being modelled to our sons and daughters. Also, the rising trend of kindymoons. What are they? Who's taking them and why? We discuss. Plus, we...