The Juggling Act

Whether it's the TV, an iPad or your phone, I'm sure we've all let our kids watch a screen during a meal at some stage. But what about when it becomes a nightly habit because you just don't have the energy to battle with them to eat? We know mindless eating isn't great, but is it really that bad?  

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This week, we talked about religion and whether children should be able to find their own faith… we caught up with cybercop Yasmin London to find out whether Tik Tok really is the devil it’s made out to be. Josh Pyke called in to talk about his fears around raising mixed race children in Australia and the beautiful new song he wrote for his boys – You’re My Colour. Author Mim Jenkinson opened up about how to tell if your drinking is out of control… And I’ve got some God Damn potty-mouthed kids on my hands! How the bloody hell do you deal with that?!  

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Around the age of 5, kids become fascinated with potty language (hello, Captain Underpants!) or any word that gets a reaction from us. My kids have somehow become obsessed with the S word and the F word (not that my 5yo even knows what they are), oh and the 'middle finger'. It's so hard to shield them from it. My 8yo comes home from school asking what certain words mean, and I heard a song playing on our home device the other day that had swearing in it. So what should you do if your kids develop a mouth like a trucker?  

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When this whole Covid thing kicked off I was definitely drinking more than usual, like a lot of people. But I’m glad to say that lately I’ve cut right back to two or three nights a week and feel much better for it. I know at one stage I did worry that I was drinking too much, but I never felt like it was out of control. So how do you know if you're drinking just a bit more than usual, or if it’s become something more serious? Well, Mim Jenkinson is a mum-of-two and a small business owner who hid her problem with alcohol from everyone - except her husband. She was so impressed by the reaction she got when she finally shared her story on social that she wrote a book about it, called ‘Less wine, more time’.  It wasn’t easy, but she says, it’s the best decision she ever made.  

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When singer Josh Pyke and his Vietnamese-Australian wife Sarah had children, it was really important to them that their boys were are aware of both their parents’ cultures, as was bringing music into their lives. He wrote his latest single You’re My Colour for his boys, and oh, heart melt. Josh joins us on the show to chat about how they juggled isolation and his greatest fear for his boys.  

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The number of times I’ve heard friends complain about the kids and their ipads. They’re a damn blessing and a curse. As much as I thought I’d never struggle to stay across technology, it’s incredible how quickly kids pick up on something that we know nothing about – yes Roblox, I’m looking at you… like what even is that game?! And don’t get my started on Tik Tok. Despite the fact that I can’t even work out how to use it, SHOULD we be using it?! We put in a call to mum and former police officer turned 'cybercop' Yasmin London to find out how we can keep our kids safe online and whether Tik Tok really is the devil it's made out to be.  

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Religion, it's a divisive topic. Both Sarah and I grew up going to church and Sunday school with our families, and now that we've got our children, it got us thinking about the role religion will play in their lives. But is it something that we should decide for them now by taking them to church, or should they be allowed to choose their own faith (if at all) when they're older?  

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This week, we talked about the FOGO of heading back to work and whether you can tell off another person’s child. We were also joined by soon to be mumma Jules Robinson who got very candid about the unspoken change of pregnancy (hint, it happens when you laugh or sneeze unexpectedly). We also chatted to mediation guru Luke McLeod for some great tips to help us manage our return to the office anxiety, and an incredible mum who wrote a children’s book about having tough conversations with our kids about scary things on the news.  

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A total stranger offered to tell my son off the other day because I'd spent 15 minutes trying to get him in the car. I agreed, then felt equal parts grateful and awkward! Even though we know it's well-intentioned, it does feel uncomfortable when someone else tells off your child (and vice versa). So is it generally okay?   

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It’s been really interesting to see how kids have responded to all of the major events this year - bushfires, black lives matter and a global pandemic (and that's enough now okay, thanks world.) I’ve let my kids dictate any conversations around these topics and tried to answer in an age-appropriate way, but it can be difficult to know what to say or even if that's the right approach. Mum-of-two from the Gold Coast Alicia Millier faced the same problem earlier in the year, so she decided to do something to help support parents and educate kids. Prompted by the bushfires, she wrote a book called Mummy, The Bush Is On Fire, that aims to help us start those tough conversations.   

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