We all know how truly horrific this global pandemic has been. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have died, millions of people have lost their jobs and our children are only just returning to school – into an environment that will be significantly different from when they left. I get countless emails from groups and experts concerned about the impact this situation is going to have on our children, but there is one silver lining. Mental health experts believe that our kids could actually ...
May 25, 2020•6 min
Kids in NSW and QLD have gone back to school today, while most kids in Victoria head back June 9. As majority of parents let out a massive sigh of relief (and pour an equally massive glass of wine), for some, it’s tinged with concern that it’s the right place for their children to be. I’ve seen lots of social media posts from parents asking whether they’re allowed to keep their kids at home because they’re worried that it’s safe for them to be there. So I reached out to Dr Asha Bowen - a Paediat...
May 24, 2020•6 min
After nearly eight weeks of quarantine life, we now seem to be coming out the other side – for now – with restrictions slowly lifting and kids heading back to school. But things are not going to return to ‘normal’, and as parents, we’ll need to help our children adjust to the ‘new normal’, however that’s going to look. They’ve been through a lot, we’ve all been through a lot, uncertainty, anxiety, fear, and now the poor little things are finally heading back to school but with strict social dist...
May 21, 2020•6 min
Parents are preparing to send their kids back at various times around the country, and with this comes a mix of emotions. Relief for a lot of people, sure, but also anxiety and concern for some parents – and kids – with the return date earlier than expected. Parents have been told that “Rolls will be marked as per normal and unexplained absences will be followed up.” That’s unless there are genuine health concerns. So I reached out to some parents and kids, to see how they’re feeling about retur...
May 20, 2020•4 min
I never thought I’d say this, but I feel like I’ve almost finished Netflix. And Stan. And Disney. And Foxtel Now…. I’m kinda bored with the TV binges. So I’ve actually been turning back to books. I absolutely loved reading as a child, I was the child that my mum would find curled up in the sun somewhere like a cat, reading for hours. But when I had kids I was just too damn tired! I’d start reading a page then fall asleep. Four years later, I feel like I’m getting back to the stage where I’ll sta...
May 19, 2020•7 min
We all know how much pressure lockdown has put on our relationships at home. A lot of us are suddenly working in the same room or right next to each other (who knew he was a ‘circle back’ kinda guy?!), and that can be challenging to say the least! I wanted to get some tips to make sure your marriages survive this pandemic – clearly, I’m not the best person for that job – so I put in a call to one of our fave guests on the Juggling Act, delightful dad of three, and star and creator of the fabulou...
May 18, 2020•5 min
I’ve noticed that my four-year-old has been much cheekier these past couple of weeks, and that seems to be a common observation from a few parents I’ve spoken to about their children too. Kids who are normally pretty chill have been losing it at random things or acting up at school and daycare. As my kids say ‘my brain stopped working’. It’s not surprising given the extreme circumstances we’re living under, it’s such a huge thing for them to fully grasp. On top of that, we’re tired, stressed and...
May 17, 2020•5 min
Like a lot of people, I have been saving money since we went into quarantine. No daycare and before or after school care fees, no sporting fees, travel costs are gone and we’re obviously not going out. BUT there’s the underlying anxiety over job security – a familiar story all over Australia and the rest of the world. That’s if you haven’t already been stood down or had your income significantly reduced. So it can be hard to really enjoy those Netflix binges when you’re worried about how you’re ...
May 14, 2020•6 min
I don’t know about you, but iso skin is totally a thing for me. My hands are getting so dry and itchy courtesy of OCD hand washing. The skin on my whole body feels so dry, yet on my face, I’m breaking out again like a teenager – even though I’ve stopped wearing makeup. Surely my skin should look like an SKII ad?! It seems I’m not the only one experiencing more breakouts than usual while self-isolating amid the outbreak (the corona outbreak, not the one on my face). So what exactly is causing eve...
May 13, 2020•6 min
I had a particularly stressful day at work last week and a colleague said to me, you can have an extra glass of wine tonight and I thought, ‘I really don’t need permission for that because I’m already drinking too much’! And that’s a familiar story across the country with a recent poll finding that 70% of people are drinking more since the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia and over a third say they are drinking every day. And I get it. It’s the anxiety, the stress of the unknown and the fact that w...
May 12, 2020•7 min
I recently got to know my new neighbor who is also working from home. We had a wine – okay a couple, on the weekend – and then she dropped some baking off at my door the following day. And I was thinking what a nice upside this has been to the whole pandemic situation. I really feel like our whole building and street has been so supportive and really pulled together. There have been quite a few other wonderful things to come from the devastation of the global pandemic (like zoom dates with your ...
May 11, 2020•5 min
Self-care, it can be a difficult thing to prioritise as a working mum, particularly in isolation. We don’t have the same outlets we usually have – a trip to the hairdresser, a massage, coffee or cocktail with friends. I’ve been doing the odd face mask at home – iso skin is a whole different ep - but apart from that, I haven’t really been doing that much. It just feels like I’m getting through each day, which I’m sure is not healthy or sustainable. And sadly I’m not sure experts would recommend w...
May 10, 2020•5 min
So it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and for many people it’s going to look quite different to what it has in other years. Hopefully there will still be breakfast or a coffee in bed, but we might not be able to catch up with our own mother’s with the whole family around, head for lunch or have social gatherings of more than a few people - depending on what state you're in. I read some research done by Big W that found almost 30% of Australian families don’t know if they will celebrate Mother’s Day thi...
May 07, 2020•5 min
I don’t know about you guys, but being stuck in the house all day has led to me, and the kids, reaching for the fridge door, way more often than usual. I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly groaned "what now?!". If you’re having a similar struggle, then you’ll be pleased to know that mum, influencer, author and all-round goddess, Tiff Hall, has sent me her best tips for beating the iso snack blues. Praise be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 06, 2020•6 min
This period has been challenging for everyone, but it’s been particularly challenging for people trying to make big decisions about keeping their family safe, with someone they don’t get along. I’ve been surprisingly lucky in that regard. We had a disagreement initially about keeping the kids in care and school, but then came to a compromise and we haven’t really had any major issues since. I reached out to some other single parents – mums and dads, to find out what challenges they’ve been facin...
May 05, 2020•5 min
I feel so superficial for saying this, but last night I opened my wardrobe and thought ‘ I really miss my work clothes and getting ready for the day!’. Then I just kinda slumped and thought, I’m over this. I think my kids are over it too. We ran into some friends at the bike park on Sunday and all the kids started fighting. It's like they have forgotten how to socialise. I think I’VE forgotten how to socialise! Then I just started to worry about it, and overanalyse things and stress about whethe...
May 04, 2020•5 min
Both of my kids have birthday’s in June and they’ve already started asking about whether they can have a party - as kids do. It’s difficult to know what to say when I don’t know what will be happening by then, but it must be even harder for parents who had parties organised and then had to cancel them. There isn't a kid alive who doesn't look forward to their birthday party - hell, even adults are bummed right now about celebrating their special day in isolation. But just because it can't be a n...
May 03, 2020•5 min
I sent my daughter back to school on Wednesday, and I’m totally fine with that decision. I didn’t make it lightly and luckily with my job I have access to lots of experts for advice. It’s also the right thing for my particular circumstance, and that’s all any of us can do right now – do what is right for you. As we were leaving the house, a woman putting pamphlets in the letterbox said: "off to school, isn’t that a bit dangerous?" Sigh. Can we just stop judging and start supporting? But it’s Fri...
Apr 30, 2020•5 min
It’s obviously an incredibly stressful situation we find ourselves in - working from home and spending more time than ever with partners, kids, flatmates, family - all putting a huge amount of pressure on those relationships. Our daily routines look nothing like they used to and lots of us are dealing with unprecedented stress and anxiety which in turn places considerable strain on everyone in the household. So how can we try and keep those relationships intact and walk out of this with all our ...
Apr 29, 2020•5 min
So, I bought a bike, the Holy Grail. Along with self-raising flour. Baking and biking, the iso survival activities. Speaking of things to do, I’ve been thinking a bit about the things I’d most like to do when this is over. Top of the list for me, is hug my friends, get my hair done, hug my friends, then drink bubbles with said friends on a rooftop bar in the sun. Then hug them again. Kidspot reached out to a bunch of parents to find out what was at the top of their list, and if you’re after some...
Apr 28, 2020•5 min
What is our social responsibility when it comes to procreating - especially when we're in the middle of a global pandemic. Firstly, I blame Merrick Watts for even putting these ideas into my head. It was years ago when I was working with Mez that he explained to me he and his wife would only have 2 kids, as that was the responsible thing to do. I was single at the time and children were a distant thought, so the idea stumped me. Years later water restrictions were in full force, all of Sydney we...
Apr 27, 2020•5 min
I’ve been reading a lot about kids and anxiety during this pandemic, and I’ve been surprised me by how well my kids have adjusted to the new normal. Or so I thought. Turns out kids can show quite subtle signs that they’re struggling with Covid-stress… which is stressful. Even if our children don’t really grasp the full extent of what’s going on, life is very different for them now. But, children don’t express their emotions in the same way that we do, so how on earth are we meant to know if they...
Apr 26, 2020•5 min
I think we all need some light in our lives right now, so I've decided today is Good News Fri-yay! I’ve scoured the interwebs for you (okay I just watched John Krisnski’s Some Good News show on YouTube… ) for some of my favourite stories over the past week. From a Sinatra driveway crooner to a retirement village serenade - these are the stories that brought an iso smile to my face. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 23, 2020•5 min
I don’t know about you, but weekends in isolation seem to stretch on and on for about six hundred and eleven-ty hours. That’s a LOT of hours to fill with kids, especially if you’re trying to keep screen time down (and let’s face it, that is a big ask these days…). In our house, I’ve found we’ve turned to lots of old-school activities. I’ve pulled out the board games we used to play as kids – Yahtzee, Chinese Checkers and Uno have been big hits. And my daughter has finally taught me what Just Dan...
Apr 22, 2020•4 min
I was reminded over the weekend that we have been working at home now for a month. Man time flies. Ha! It feels like six. To begin with, we were scared, anxious and worried about whether we’d ever be able to buy toilet paper again. Then there seemed to be a general feeling of positivity - for a bit. Now I feel like a lot of people have hit an iso slump – bored, over it and craving an end date. I checked in with other working mums to find out whether they’re feeling the same, and also got some ti...
Apr 21, 2020•5 min
We've all felt like our kids prefer one parent over the other at some stage, but for Sarah McGilvray, her son's favouritism is turning toxic. She had no idea something as small as him not letting her read his bedtime story could send her over the edge, but when you’re exhausted and trying to work from home during isolation, and parent, and be a partner, and feed the dog, and live on 4 hours sleep for the last few years… your child not openly loving you or showing you the cuteness they show every...
Apr 20, 2020•6 min
We all know isolation sucks with kids. No other way to put it really. But my thoughts have especially been with friends who have had babies during this pandemic. Being a new mum is hard enough. Being a new mum when you can’t get out and catch up with your friends and family, join a mother’s group or even have the maternal health nurse come over and check everything is okay, would be incredibly hard. So I checked out to a few of them to see how they're coping, and the responses were surprising. S...
Apr 19, 2020•5 min
Have you found yourself baking much more than you used to PP (pre-pandemic)? Well, you're not alone. Despite being an absolutely crap cook, I've found myself baking banana bread and even a lemon cake - wild, I know. So what is it about baking that makes us feel so much better? There's something comforting about focusing on the task at hand rather than what's going on in the world. I reached out to Kidspot Kitchen Editor Lucy Bortolazzo for some ideas that aren't banana bread. See omnystudio.com/...
Apr 16, 2020•6 min
Whether or not to continue to send your child to daycare, or to send them back if you pulled them out, is a decision I know a lot of parents are torn by. I pulled my son out 3 weeks ago, but I'm really struggling to juggle everything and am considering sending him back. So is it safe for children to be there? Dr Asha Brown, Paediatrician and infectious diseases expert from the Australian Academy of Science shares her expert opinion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Apr 15, 2020•6 min
This past month has been such a time of conflicted emotions, but now I seem to have found myself settling somewhere between panic and denial. And of course there's now a name for that - panial. It’s got a ring to it right?! It totally sums up how I’m feeling. But it turns out we don't need to feel that way and we actually have more control over this situation than we think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 14, 2020•5 min
