The Juggling Act

Today’s guest is an Australian country music star with seven albums and countless awards to her name. Amber Lawrence welcomed her first child - a little boy called Ike two years ago, with her husband Marty – who she met on Tinder. Then sadly in July last year, she lost her second child halfway through her pregnancy. So how did she juggle the awfulness that was 2020, keep her music career alive and juggle a toddler? She joins us to find out…

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Sometimes tiny acts of kindness can completely turn your day around, especially when you have small children. We all know that even a trip to the supermarket can become a huge mission with many possible pitfalls. Tantrums, kids grabbing everything, wanting to eat everything, then trying to get everything and everyone in the car in one piece. So when someone you don't know offers to help, it's like a guardian angel has been offered up. Sarah and Mel talk about the incredible power of kindness and how much it means as a parent. For more great parenting stories head to kidspot.com.au. Follow us on FB @kidspotaustralia and IG @kidspot    

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This week, Sarah and I have been hit by the gastro bug! We talk about the crappiness of being a parent when your kids are sick. Author Chandra Clements has written a book about Covid illustrated by her kids, and it’s gone gangbusters (even Fergie read it on her Instagram). DJ Andrew Levins opens up about the depression he suffered on returning to work after his child’s birth and why being a SAHD is the absolute best. Entertaining legend Justine Clarke joins us for a super fun chat about Play School, turning 50 and why voice over work is the best gig around. And Sarah and Mel chat about whether or not they have a favourite child and why parents don't admit it if they do. For more great parenting content head to kidspot.com.au Follow us on FB @kidspotaustralia and IG @kidspot    

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When the most recent season of The Crown was released at the end of 2020, there was a scene featuring Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip talking about whether they have a favourite child. Lizzie was shocked when Phil admitted that Anne was his, while she then tried to work out who her favourite was. It's not something most parents like to openly admit, but most days there is one child that is a little less annoying than the others! Mel and Sarah chat about whether they have a favourite, and why people don't like to talk about it.

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We are super excited to welcome today's guest to The Juggling Act, because she’s just so damn lovely. Justine Clarke is an actress, singer, author, TV host and mum of three (she’s also the reason we have the song ‘watermelon’ constantly stuck in our heads). Now she’s back as the queen bee in the film series Maya The Bee. She joins us to talk about playing a queen, turning 50 and the prospect of her kids leaving home.

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Andrew Levins has been a DJ since he was a teenager and a food writer for almost as long. He’s played at major music festivals all over the country, co-founded a youth music charity called Heaps Decent and in 2007 was named one of Sydney’s 100 most influential people.  He then went on to have two kids, run a successful restaurant, release a cookbook and start no less than five podcasts. We are stoked to have him on our podcast today to chat about the second book in his children’s series– called Nelson - Broccoli and spies, his trick to getting kids to eat veggies, and how quitting the restaurant business to work from home saved his mental health.

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Today’s guest is a mum of two little girls whose income fell apart when covid hit. So she started writing children’s book about the pandemic – and got her four and two-year-old to illustrate them. The first book was an overnight success and became a bestseller. She has since self-published six more and even had Sarah (Fergie) Ferguson read one on her Instagram.

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It's so awful watching your kids fight some sort of germ - gastro, croup, a cold - you just wish you could help them more. Both Sarah and Mel's kids have been hit by the gastro bug and it was not pretty. Then there's the fear that the rest of the family are going to go down next and it will go on for weeks and weeks. But they did find one silver lining to poorly kids...

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This week, Sarah wonders whether she’s making her picky eater worse but just giving him what he want. Author and elite athlete Alexandra Andre has some Inspiring tips to help you achieve absolutely any goal. We chat with a mum is making princesses more relatable for our kids (glass slippers, really?!. Block legends Alisa and Lysandra join us to talk about quitting their jobs in the police force to start their own design company. And Sarah and Mel chat about whether you should stop your kids being too physical with each other (or is it just part of growing up?) For more great parenting advice head to kidspot.com.au. Follow us on FB @kidspotaustralia and IG @kidspot  

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Remember fighting with your siblings? Punching, pushing, scratching and hair-pulling -sometimes it got really rough. But it's a right of passage, right? As parents ourselves now it's much harder to watch when our kids get rough with each other. So should you intervene or just let them fight it out and learn from their experiences?

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