The Juggling Act

Mel is one of four and knowing what she knows now about travelling with kids, she's not sure why they ever went on holidays! Mum-of-six, yup, SIX, Rebecca Mason, was working for her family’s travel agency Mr Chocolate’s Travel when Covid hit and everything came to a screeching halt. So she took her travel experience and wrote a book - especially for large families - called The Expert’s Guide to La...

When we're younger we're so blissfully unaware. We haven't started noticing our looks, or what other people think of us. We have this beautiful innocence, and then slowly it's moulded out of us. We become self-conscious, that little voice in our head starts chiming in with negative comments and we become more aware of other people's judgement. And it seems to be happening younger and younger. Mel...

This week, we meet Sam Bloom, the incredible mum behind the new Naomi Watts film Penguin Bloom. We chat with a mum who still suffers from anxiety and grief three years after nearly losing her twins. Blogger Victoria Vanstone reveals how to say goodbye to the people pleaser in you and how she finally put down the wine glass for good. And Sarah opens up about how to handle her toddler telling lies!...

Porky pies, fibs, tall tales. When kids reach the stage where they start telling lies, it can be funny but also embarrassing. So how should you handle a lying child? Sarah and Mel share their experiences, with plenty of laughs along the way (mostly at their expense). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all seen the mummy wine time memes and had a LOL. But what happens when that stress release gets out of control and you can't get up and parent the next day? Originally from the UK, mum-of-three Victoria Vanstone been writing about motherhood and her sobriety journey for the past couple of years, and she joins us to share her story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Diana Nicolls was ten weeks pregnant, she found out she had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome - a rare pregnancy where twins share one placenta and a network of blood vessels. Her complicated pregnancy took a huge toll on her mentally and physically, and the grief and anxiety still lingers three years later. Diana, who is also a personal trainer and marathon runner, has now released a book ab...

When Sam Bloom headed off on a family holiday to Thailand with her three sons, she never could have imagined what would happen. The young mum and keen outdoorswoman fell off a rooftop and broke her vertebrae in two places, as her children looked on. Paralysed from the waist down, she was left questioning who she was as a woman and a mother, and spent long months battling depression. Then a year la...

This week, we catch up with one-half of the parents competing on The Amazing Race after a cancer battle and losing their business. Finance expert Effie Zahos shares the best way to save for your child’s education. Author Dr Susie O’Brien joins the pod to tell us why we should all strive to be half-arsed parents. (so here for this). Actress Zoe Naylor opens up about the 'healing' of her second birt...

Today’s guest is one of our absolute favs. She oozes body confidence and positivity, but it wasn’t always that way… Taryn Brumfitt was on the cusp of getting plastic surgery after her third child when she realised the example she was setting for her daughter. So instead, she posted a nude picture on social media showing how much her body has changed between her bodybuilding days and now. It quickl...

Aussie actor Zoe Naylor has two beautiful children with fellow actor Aaron Jeffries, and now she's stepping behind the camera. Zoe has opened up about the trauma of her first birth, and how her second a few years back was the complete opposite and actually ended up being a ‘healing’ experience. This prompted her to produce a film called Birth Time, and embark on a mission to find out why an increa...

Ah being a parent, full of love and wonder, while simultaneously being exhausting and stressful. But we are creating all that stress ourselves? Today’s guest says we need to let all that pressure to be perfect go, and just go back to basics. Dr Susie O'Brien is a journalist and columnist with a PhD in Education, and she has a new book out, The Secret of Half-Arsed Parenting - Raising kids with hal...

I’m a words not numbers person, so thinking about finances and planning for the future does hurt my head a bit. One thing I did do when my kids were born, was start an education fund. But I have often wondered whether it’s the best way to save for their schooling. Today’s guest is one of Australia’s leading personal finance commentators, and the author of Ditch the Debt and Get Rich (yes please!)....

Last year was tough, but for firefighter Deb and former NRL player Shane it was particularly tough. Shane was diagnosed with prostate cancer and Deb lost her gym during Covid.  With Shane’s health improving, they decided they were ready to make the most of life and compete in the race of a lifetime – The Amazing Race Australia. They join us and reveal the hardest thing about the race, why they did...

This week, we chat with Beau Ryan who reveals his top tip for travelling with kids and actually enjoying it. We get some incredible tips on raising girls who like themselves (in a world that tells them they're flawed). We meet the mums competing in The Amazing Race Australia and find out why they entered. Former Olympic swimmer Brooke Hanson opens up about how she keeps smiling after a heartbreaki...

The rules around what we can and can't do and with how many people has been nothing short of confusing! It's also been interesting to see how different family and friends have reacted to covid restrictions - some are very strict, some a bit more laid back. So how do you navigating varying opinions around what should or shouldn't be done without falling out with family or friends? Sarah and Mel sha...

I’ve been dragging my kids to swimming lessons since they were only a few months old. We had breaks here and there when it all becomes too much – and too expensive – but now they both love the water. I know that’s not the case with every child, so how can we make sure our kids are water confident without the headache – and the drain on the bank account? Today’s guest is an Australian Olympic Gold...

Well a couple of weeks ago The Amazing Race Australia host Beau Ryan told us this season, set only in Australia, was the toughest one yet. He was right. It’s been hard watching the contestants battle the extreme weather conditions, and for the mums on the show, Jude and Shannon, it’s been even more difficult because their relationship was tested to the limits in the most surprising way. See omnyst...

As women, we spend so much of our lives disliking things about ourselves. Our bodies, our looks, our laugh, the list goes on… So when Mel's 8-year-old daughter started telling her the things she didn’t like about herself, she thought, 'nooooo, you’re too little! Stay innocent for longer please!' Sadly she’s not the only one. Alarming research has found that more than half of all Aussie girls betwe...

One of Mel's favourite reality TV shows is The Amazing Race. She loves travelling and watching how the contestants handle the stress of a foreign country. But this year, the show is going to look very different. There are no language barriers, no cultural challenges, because this year - thanks to Covid - the race will be held in Australia only. The show’s host, former rugby league player and dad o...

This week, Sarah and Mel talk about the things you need to think about when choosing a daycare (see we are helpful sometimes!). We’re joined by an Indonesian-American mum living in Melbourne to talk about raising culturally aware children. Teacher and author Sharon Witt shares her experience around choosing the right school for your child and urges parents to speak up if something isn’t working. C...

When your first child starts school, you worry about the logistical stuff - can they open their lunchbox, put their shoes back on, wipe their bottom. Second time around it's a different story. You know what's ahead of you. You know how much and how quickly they change. It feels like they go from being babies to little people overnight and that can be really, really hard to process - especially if...

At the end of last year, we were glued to our screens watching former Ironwoman and Reading Eggs ambassador Candice Warner absolutely smash it on SAS Australia and show the country just how tough she is. Now the mum of three gorgeous girls Ivy, Indi and Isla, is back to chat with us about another testing time, back to school, how SAS Australia changed her for the better, and how she's going to tal...

Choosing a school for your child can be incredibly overwhelming, especially if you live in a major city where there is so much choice. Today’s guest is the author of Starting Secondary School and Surviving High School. She’s also a secondary educator and motivational speaker to teens and their parents around the country. She joins us to share her wisdom around all things schooling. See omnystudio....

As an Indonesian American woman living in Melbourne, Via Tendon found herself in plenty of situations where she was ‘the token Asian’ and didn't fit in. Now as a mum to six-month-old Maya, she’s passionate about giving a voice to ALL children – not just the majority – and firmly believes ‘we can only be what we see’. Via started a business during Covid (yep, with a newborn) called Metta Play which...

It can be a very emotional time when you first leave your child at daycare, it feels very unnatural to leave your child with strangers. So you need to feel confident that you've chosen the right one for you and your family. Sarah and Mel share the things they looked for and their experience with the daycare system - good and bad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.