The Village Live

Are you mom to a teenage boy? Do you wonder how to make him strong and independent but also able to deal with his emotions and be vulnerable? Does it sometimes seem a VERY difficult job? Don't worry. Help is at hand. After one of her recent "Strong Mothers, Strong Sons" workshops in KZN, Megan sat down with four boy moms and asked them to share their insights into getting the balance right.

Marianne Thamm – journalist, author, stand-up comedian, podcast presenter and, more recently, one of the most prominent members of the Daily Maverick team who, together with AmaBunghane, helped blow open state capture and end the Zuma administration. She’s also the parent of two teenage daughters. Find out which of those activities is more challenging in our latest Village Live.

Here’s the second part of our discussion with six intrepid Villagers about their break-ups and their children. They talk about life after divorce, what they’d do differently, what they’ve learned and what advice they’d give to anyone else now they’ve had time to think about it – and it's definitely not all bad news.

Splitting up with your partner is bad enough. Trying to make sure your kids are OK is a whole other dimension. We get posts about these kinds of issues all the time on The Village. To gather some collective wisdom, Megan sat down with six generous Villagers to talk about what they'd learned from their various experiences. If you're trying to find your way through the maze that is separation and divorce - or you know someone who is - we're hoping the conversation gives you some extra insight. Plus, it's a reminder that you're not alone in dealing with this difficult - and often very painful - process.

Have you got teens of nightclub going age? Do you know who they might bump into apart from their chommies? Vanessa talks to Mandy Wiener about her new book, “Ministry of Crime” and what we – and more especially our kids – need to know about the criminal webs woven around the nightlife of our cities.

They’ve passed their test, they’re buying a car (or you are!) – but which one? Top motoring journalist Juliet McGuire shares where you can’t economise (including the five ‘must haves’), where you can (‘no darling, NOT everyone has a Mini Clubman’) and the very best buys for first time drivers.

“You can’t protect your children from trauma, but you can prepare them for it.” In our special bonus podcast, Gabi Lowe (from Episode 6) and Pippa Shaper share some of the tools they've created to help us build resilience - both in ourselves and in our children.

In 2012, aged 17, Jenna Lowe was diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension. It's degenerative and incurable. In this Village Live, Jenna’s mom, Gabi, shares the extraordinary insights she gained from having to face every parent’s worst fear, how she and her family learned to build resilience and how she believes that we - and our children - can do the same.

The fact is, if we’re driving children around, there are certain things we need – space, safety …. washable seats! But do we have to give up every last trace of auto sexiness to get them? Vanessa finds out from top motoring journalist, Juliet McGuire, if you can Muber the kids around and still pimp your ride.

We love seeing our kids succeed. But what happens when winning becomes the only thing that matters? Is it worth sacrificing a childhood? And can parents push too hard? Megan De Beyer talks to a former tennis player about her life as a teenage champion and how she feels looking back. If you don't want to be 'that' parent by the side of the sports field, take a listen.