Life Matters - Full program podcast

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when there are children involved. And for many parents working through a separation, it comes with guilt and fear that kids living across two separate households will be worse off. But a new research shows as long as kids feel a sense of safety and security, the bells and whistles are less important.  As AI adoption surges, so too does the demand for data cent...

The federal government has unveiled its plan for gambling reforms, announcing a ban on gambling ads in sports stadiums and players' uniforms, and heavy restrictions around ads on TV, radio and online platforms. But does this go far enough to stop millions of dollars flowing out of people's wallets and into gambling company coffers? Researcher Samantha Thomas and advocate Anna Bardsley discuss how...

Would you watch Married At First Sight with your teenagers? It might sound like a strange parenting strategy — the show is messy, engineered for drama, and showcases some pretty troubling behaviour. Media lecturer Jessica Ford and men's mental health expert Simon Rice discuss how creating a safe space for conversations about respectful relationships could be a good place to start. There's a push t...

Most parents understand there is a huge amount they can do to set up (or stuff up) their kids' mental and emotional needs. Developmental paediatrician and parenting podcaster Billy Garvey shares how to prioritise what's most important.  Aunties Denise Eriksen and James Colley help a listener figure out how to break the news that they're not a big fan of their friend's four-legged companion. 

An estimated 1 in 3 Australian households do not have secure access to food — they're either not getting enough, not getting the right kind, or sacrificing other crucial things to afford their groceries. And with fuel prices skyrocketing and interest rises shrinking household budgets, people are turning to food banks to help put dinner on the table. So how do we address the complex issue of food s...

The Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that come October, card surcharges will be banned. But will it actually save you money any money? A significant amount of our learning takes place outside of the classroom and we know that homeschooling has risen significantly in the last few years. Mario Gabrieli, who's taking his son Leonardo on a journey from Sydney to Italy on the back of a Vespa, an...

Last week a woman in the US successfully sued Meta and Google, arguing their platforms were addictive. She said she was spending up to 16 hours a day online, starting from just six years old. It raises some big questions around the concept of social media addiction. Psychology researchers Deon Tullett-Prado and Sharon Horwood explain what the research says about how social media is changing our br...

As petrol prices continue to soar, the only way to reduce your bowser bill is to go electric or get rid of your car altogether. But could you realistically do that where you live? Researcher Dorina Pojani from the University of Queensland shares what she learned from an experiment in Brisbane asking 10 people to totally ditch their cars for three weeks. Getting to gigs and immersing yourself in th...

There's an longstanding rule that it's not polite to talk about politics at the dinner table. But in times of global turmoil, where freedom of expression is under threat, it can be harder to keep the peace. Psychotherapist Andrew Sloan talks through how to navigate relationships when we vehemently disagree, and what we stand to lose as a community if we can no longer hold space for different opini...

Helping you figure out all the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work and the world.

The looming fuel crisis is starting to bite, with service stations running out of petrol and prices soaring past $2.50 per litre. If you're in the middle of planning a trip, whether it's up the coast for Easter or hitting Greek Islands for European summer, the new reality is throwing travel plans into disarray. In Australia, the average kitchen lifespan is about 15 to 20 years. Interior designer C...

A recent Senate inquiry report has found capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing have historically benefited investors over owner-occupiers — so is it time to tweak the system? Independent MP Allegra Spender and the Australian Urban and Housing Research Institute's Michael Fotheringham discuss how these changes might work and whether it would be enough to address housing affordability for...

As our cities grow, there's a push to build up, not out — including in our suburbs. For more families, that means home will be an apartment rather than a house. Kate Longley, who lives in an apartment with her two children, joins architect Natalia Krysiak to discuss how to make higher density living more family-friendly. University is a big leap for any young person. But for country students who h...

Mother-daughter bonds are strong, but many come with heavy cultural baggage: expectation, guilt, and comparison. Psychotherapist Zoe Krupka unpacks why so many women are talking about "the mother wound".  If you knew a secret about a new co-worker, would you share it with your colleagues? Where do you draw the line between harmless gossip and unprofessional chatter?

A new report has found Aussie couples are moving away from pooling their money, and are choosing to be more financially independent in their relationships instead. But a separate bank account doesn't automatically mean the money is protected if the relationship ends. Researcher Kira Duggan, solicitor Antonella Sanderson and journalist Shelly Horton discuss the ins and outs of shared finances. More...

Small talk might feel trivial, but professor in the psychology of kindness Gillian Sandstrom says these tiny exchanges can help us live a kinder, more connected life. Gillian unpacks it all in her new book Once Upon A Stranger. Leeson Timms knows the world of the 'manosphere' all too well. He was drawn in by the allure of confident blokes and an assured place in the world, only to realise the dama...

Helping you figure out all the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work and the world.

A new program has launched in Queensland to teach teenagers how to safely ride e-bikes and e-scooters on the roads. It comes as trauma experts warn the number of serious injuries and fatalities associated with these devices is rising, so when the stakes are so high, is education enough?  Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person? A long-term study out of Yale University suggests it ac...

Breaking up can be brutal, especially if you have children together. Navigating feelings of anger, sadness, betrayal and shock without bringing the kids into it can be complicated. Family mediation specialist Danielle Lundberg shares the secret to staying sane while bringing up kids with your ex. Life Matters listener Katherine asks the Aunties for advice on clearing her cat's name after a neighbo...

Helping you figure out all the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work and the world.

At a pivotal moment in her career, one moment changed everything for comedian Denise Scott. She knew it was bad immediately, and a few appointments later it was confirmed: breast cancer. Now, on the other side of treatment, Denise is touring a new stand-up show, Tickety Boo. Skate parks, playgrounds and BMX tracks are everywhere — but a recent survey shows teenage girls are barely using them. What...

There are growing calls for the childcare subsidy to apply to a broader number of care options. Whether it's grandparents, nannies, au pairs, or whatever the case may be, how might that work? And if your choice is a childcare centre, what does that mean for you? When Jan Warnock was diagnosed with a terminal illness, she decided she wanted to say goodbye on her own terms. So the family held a livi...

Meals on Wheels has been around for more than 70 years, but in a growing number of communities the service is facing challenges. Meals on Wheels chair Paul Sadler, volunteer Carol Gillman and geropsychologist Nancy Pachana discuss changes rolling out across the country and the future of Meals on Wheels. Learning to drive is a rite of passage for many Australians, and often it's the people who rais...

If you had to rank your sex life between 1 to 10, where would you land? According to a recent survey, nearly half of Australians are unhappy with their sex lives, putting us well below the global average. So what's going on? Sexologists Tanya Koens and Cam Fraser unpack the orgasm gap, barriers around intimacy and how to speak your mind in the bedroom. For Ask Aunty, a grieving widow shares how re...

Electronic shelf labels — those little digital screens replacing paper tags — are becoming more widespread across supermarkets in Australia, where prices can be updated instantly at the push of a button. It's certainly saved hours of employee time printing and updating labels manually, and although it's not inherently problematic, some are concerned that the way it's being used overseas could have...