The Juggling Act

A few years ago, Peta Sitcheff had a successful career in medical device sales. From the outside, she looked like she had it all – and had it all together. But as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend, she was suffering burnout. So she did something about it, and while it wasn’t easy, it saved her life. Peta has shared her story in her debut book My Beautiful Mess, and joins us to share her totally relatable story.

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So stick with us here, but ever feel like you're sometimes watching yourself parent from the outside? Like, 'man, I nailed it today, look at me go, I'm mum of the year!'. Or, more frequently, 'that was not my best moment...'. Sarah and Mel talk about their (out of body) experiences and why sometimes we just need to give ourselves a bloody big pat on the back.

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This week, Sarah and Mel ask whether 7 is the sweet age. We’re joined by author Tori Hashka to talk about the rise of the 'mum-une'. The author of 'Chicken soup for the soul', Jack Canfield has a kid's book out to teach our children to turn 'can't' into 'can'. We meet a mum who started a new career at 40 and made her first million in four years. And Sarah asks if it’s ok for family to discipline your kids in front of you?

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No one likes telling off their kids, but it can be even harder to listen to other people doing it - even family. So is it ever okay for people to discipline your child, especially in front of you? Sarah and Mel share their experiences and how you handle the situation if it upsets you.

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Cathy Baker was working as an interior designer, but after almost losing everything – including the family home – she decided to try something new. Aged 40, the mum of two boys decided to give real estate a go after a school mum suggested it could be a way to make some quick cash. She went on to make her first million within four years and is now Principal of Belle Central Coast in NSW, selling the most expensive homes on the Coast and regularly named among the top agents/principals in Australia (lists that are usually dominated by men!)

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Nearly 30 years ago, the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was released, and the series went on to be a worldwide phenomenon. Now the creator, Jack Canfield has joined forces with children’s book author Miriam Laundry to produce the powerful new children’s book, I CAN Believe in Myself – to help kids turn their thoughts from "I Can't" to "I Can!". Jack joins us to talk about the tools parents can use to help their child change their mindsets.

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Life as a working parent is hard. News flash. But what if you had other working mum friends to help share the load of chores, drop offs, pick ups, cooking, life admin? Sounds heaven, right? Today’s guest is an author, food writer and mum of two who decided to explore this idea of modern motherhood in her totally relatable debut novel Grace Under Pressure.

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There is a lot of research around the importance of the first seven years of a child's life. There are also theories that age 7 is the sweet spot. They're no longer as dependant on you and have really developed their own personality, but they haven't yet hit the tween age when things get more complicated. Sarah and Mel talk about the various ages and their benefits and / or challenges and try to work out whether 7 really is the sweet spot.

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This week, Sarah and Mel ask whether it's wrong to make your kids pick a favourite parent. We meet a mum who has been battling a chronic rare non-curable autoimmune disease and breast cancer for the past ten years. Masterchef contestant Jess Hodge is in the studio to chat about just how tough the show is and the difficulty of being away from her 3-year-old twin boys.Matty J and Laura Byrne met on The Bachelor in 2017, and have since gone on to get engaged and have two little girls – Marli-Mae who is 2 next month, and little Lola who was born in Feb. The loved-up couple join us to laugh about the shock of going from one kid to two, And we’re joined by actor Rafe Spall from London, who stars in the hit Apple TV series Trying. He opens up about raising boys, the challenge of homeschooling for a year and why he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

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The BBC and Apple TV joined forces last year to create a gorgeous new comedy series called ‘Trying’. It’s British, so you know it’s good (self-confessed anglophile). It stars Esther Smith and Rafe Spall as Nikki and Jason, a couple who after being told they can’t have a child, decide to explore adoption. Rafe joins us on the phone from the UK to chat about raising boys, homeschooling for a year and why kids stop him from taking himself too seriously.

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