The Juggling Act

Parenting is challenging, but when you've got kids fighting on top if it, it can be enough to drive you absolutely bonkers. Sometimes it feels like it never stops, and it can be very difficult to know how to handle it without losing your cool. Sarah and Mel share their experiences and how they (try) to approach it.

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Melbourne has been through so much, and for people with a chronic illness, it’s been especially tough. Beloved author, columnist and podcast host Jamila Rizvi was diagnosed with a brain tumour nearly three years ago and to keep her whole family safe, they had to take precautions - including keeping her four-year-old son Rafi home for the past eight months. She was so inspired by discussions she had with him during that time, that she wrote her first book for children – I’m A Hero Too. Jamila joins us to talk about the biggest challenges during that time and what she learnt about her son, and herself.

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Our guest today is an author, speaker and mum to three boys, who says that we need to rethink our approach to juggling work life and motherhood. Danielle Dobson’s book Breaking The Gender Code is all about how we can rewrite the code to live our lives on our own terms, and she joins us with some practical strategies on exactly how to do it.

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A mum recently wrote about how she didn't really like her kids until they were seven. And while she was slammed on social media, Sarah and Mel understand what she's trying to get at. For the first five or so years, you're in care mode. Then as they become more self-sufficient and their little personalities come out, you start to enjoy their company more and your relationships changes.

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Well, it has been a huge year for Grant and Chezzi Denyer who are pregnant with their third child. Chezzi has been suffering from severe morning sickness AND vertigo - and handling criticism for having a baby at 41. They join us on the pod to talk having kids when you're older, how they hated each other when they first met, and the awesome summer road trip they have planned before the new bub arrives in March (btw their record for the number of wee stops in an hour is EIGHT!).

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This week, we are joined by the stars of The Crown – Charles and Diana, that’s Emma Corrin & Josh O'Connor to you commoners… they open up about why we're SO obsessed with the royal family. Sarah and I admit that we are drowning in life admin and we just need people to cut parents some slack! Author Brooke Graham has written a fantastic children's book that is helping our kids banish worry (I use this reference all the time to help my kids - genius), while  we’ve discovered a brilliant service that is helping mums juggle career and family. And finally Canadian author, TV presenter and mum Shantelle Bison has written a book called ‘Raising your kids without losing your cool’ – and she has some surprising advice about discipline. 

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Today’s guest is a former actress, fitness instructor and TV producer, she’s also the mum of three girls, two in their twenties. Shantelle Bisson has now turned author with her new parenting guidebook - Raising your kids without losing your cool.  She joins us to explain this sorcery and why she thinks a 'little pat' is sometimes needed to discipline our kids. 

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Today's guest wanted to find a way to give women in senior administrative roles more workforce flexibility. So Lauren Calvert started an executive support service called The Well Suited Group - as a side hustle - and it’s now changing the lives of mums trying to juggle family and career.

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When primary school teacher and mum, Brooke Graham's daughter was 9, she was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night because she felt like she couldn't breathe. Turns out she was having a panic attack, and it was the sign Brooke needed to get her some professional help. She has since gone on to use the techniques they learnt to write a new children’s book called Go Away, Worry Monster!, to help remind our kids that they can send worry packing anytime they like, and take control of their fears.

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Written notes from daycare, newsletters from little athletics, alerts on the school app, emails from work - life admin can be so overwhelming! There is a lot of pressure on parents to be across everything and sometimes it just becomes too much. Sarah and Mel talk about how they're copying and beg people to just cut parents a little bit of slack.

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