The Juggling Act - podcast cover

The Juggling Act

kidspot.com.auwww.kidspot.com.au

Hosted by Kidspot writer and mum-of-two Melissa Wilson, and businesswoman and mum-of-one Jules Robinson, The Juggling Act covers the latest opinions, challenges, expert advice, celebrity interviews, real-life stories plus much more for busy parents. This supportive, informative and totally relatable podcast aims to offer insight and advice for mums and dads to help them navigate their professional and parenting lives, plus the mess in between. 

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Episodes

Cruising, talking about death + the Aussie mum changing the world

Today’s guest is such an inspiration, changing the lives of women around the world. In 2013, Kristy Chong started Modibodi after she experienced bladder leakage after the birth of her second child and her business trajectory from there is incredible. Our regular contributor Evie Farrell is back to talk about cruising – is it right for your family? And with the world in the depths of a pandemic, Mel asks how we should talk to our children about death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Aug 19, 202127 min

Secret affairs, kids and conflict + following your dream

Ever dreamt of chucking it all in and starting your own business? Today’s guest, Tara Solberg, did just that and now it’s a multi-million dollar brand. She joins us to talk about how she turned her love of travel and design into a 7 figure business. Our regular contributor Laura Mazza is back with a reader who needs advice about her mum’s secret affair. And should we teach our kids to push back? Mel and Sarah navigate the complex world of kids and conflict. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Aug 17, 202124 min

Exercising pregnant, letting kids see you cry + coping with a special needs diagnosis

Today we’re joined by two amazing mums who have experienced the absolute highs and lows of parenting. Kate and Mandy (hosts of the Two Peas in a Podcast) bonded over their premature twins with additional needs and have now shared their story in a beautiful book, 'The Invisible Life of Us'. They are with us to talk about what it was like to receive that initial diagnosis and the one thing they want people to stop saying. Our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson is back to talk about the exerc...

Aug 15, 202129 min

Smacking, surviving dinner time & why pandemic parents can't win

Are you sick of making dinner for your family every damn night? Today’s guest is a celebrity chef who says there’s a simple way to make it more enjoyable. Stop. Giving. AF. Our regular contributor Laura Mazza joins us with a controversial advice needed question around smacking your kids. And whether you're homeschooling or sending your kids to school during lockdown, parents can't win. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 10, 202129 min

Clingy kids, fitness after baby and raising boys

Today's guest has been described as a cross between Dr Phil and the Mentalist. Now Alan Stevens has turned his talents to helping men become better dads, and parents raise kind, respectful boys. He also profiles Mel which is well worth a listen! Our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson is back with some health and wellness advice around building your fitness back up after having a baby. And Sarah is dealing with a clingy child. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Aug 08, 202131 min

Pandemic special with parenting expert Maggie Dent

We are into the second year of a pandemic and parents are being put under incredible pressure. The Juggling Act reached out to parenting expert and author of 'Parental as Anything' Maggie Dent for some of her common-sense advice to help all Australian families not only survive, but thrive. In this extended special episode of the podcast, Maggie shares her wisdom around talking with kids about death and Covid, working from home, bickering siblings during lockdown, managing homeschooling and the i...

Aug 07, 202158 min

Gaming, backpacking and the queen of common-sense parenting

Today we’re joined by everyone’s favourite parenting expert, the divine Maggie Dent, who is back on the podcast with some must-hear tips for parents struggling this year. Week. Hour. Our new regular contributor Evie Farrell is here to talk about why we should all head backpacking with our kids (when we can!). And Mel asks whether she's being a Grinch by not letting her kids have a gaming console… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Aug 05, 202130 min

Volunteering, crushes and does working make you a worse parent?

Do you find yourself volunteering for things to make up for being a working parent? Today’s guest, Felicity Harley is an author and host of the Healthy-ish podcast, and she's here to talk about why so many of us seem to fall into that trap, and why balance is total BS. Our new regular contributor Laura Mazza joins us with an advice needed question from a Kidspot parent who thinks she has a crush on her boss. And Sarah had a break from work and thinks she was a much nicer parent for it. See omnys...

Aug 03, 202124 min

Lockdown self-care, alpha kids, and growing up with Dolly Doctor as your mum.

We’ve got a mother-daughter dynamic duo on the podcast today. Dr Melissa Kang and her daughter Georgia Carr are with us to chat about growing up with Dolly Doctor as your mum and Melissa’s latest collab with Yumi Stynes on teaching our kids about consent. Our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson is back with some advice on lockdown self-care. And Mel is dealing with an alpha child. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 01, 202127 min

Saving for your child's future and your next holiday

Today we’re joined by financial advisor, mum and ambassador for the fabulous Ladies Finance Club, Rachel O’Connor. Rachel has some fantastic advice around saving for your child’s future. Speaking of saving, our new regular contributor Evie Farrell is with us to talk about how to budget on holidays and how to save for that elusive next trip. And Sarah has started thinking about when her boys start school. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Jul 29, 202126 min

Jules Robinson's pandemic birth, support after miscarriage and the praise craze

Who doesn’t love a reality show success story? Today’s guest is one of our favourites. Jules Robinson met Cam Merchant on Married at First Sight in 2019, and they had their beautiful baby boy, Oliver Chase, in October last year. She joins us to chat me-time and having a baby in the middle of a pandemic. Our new regular contributor Laura Mazza joins us with a very complex advice needed question about lack of support after a miscarriage. And Mel asks whether the 'praise craze' has gone too far. Se...

Jul 27, 202128 min

Pelvic floor, body image and embracing single parenthood

When you have kids, you never think you’re going to end up doing it on your own. But that’s what happened to today’s guest, journalist Jacinta Tynan, who has now written a book with advice and inspiration for other parents who have found themselves in the same boat. Our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson is back talking about an interesting topic – body image and exercise. And Sarah opens up about the things she'd taken more seriously during pregnancy (Kegels, we're looking at you). See om...

Jul 25, 202128 min

Credit card debt, all-inclusive holidays and is now the time to change careers?

Today we’re joined by financial advisor, author and founder of Money Mode, Renae Vercoe, who is with us as part of the family finance month on Kidspot. She’s here to talk about whether credit cards are the devil and also has some super simple tips to help you manage the household budget. Our new regular contributor Evie Farrell is with us to talk about why she thinks all-inclusive holidays are the bomb (you know, when we can go away - good to plan!). And Mel and Sarah talk about whether now is a...

Jul 22, 202126 min

First-borns, sexual attraction and is your child too aggressive?

Almost 20 years ago, parenting expert and father of three Michael Grose wrote a book called ‘Why first-borns rule the world and later-borns want to change it’, which challenges parents to raise each child differently according to their birth order. It's been re-released and he joins us to explain the idea and how it's relevant to families today. Our new regular contributor Laura Mazza joins us with an advice needed question from a mum who says she’s no longer sexually attracted to her husband. A...

Jul 20, 202129 min

Teaching consent, managing anxiety, and why lockdown is so hard on single parents

Today’s guest is a radio and TV host, author, food fanatic and mum-of-four… now Yumi Stynes has a new book out – ‘Welcome to consent’. Her last collaboration was with former Dolly Doctor, Dr Melissa Kang, on a book for tweens called ‘Welcome to your Period’ and now they’re back with some super timely advice for our kids (and us). Our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson is also back to talk about the little factors that could be affecting your anxiety in a big way. And Mel opens up about why...

Jul 18, 202126 min

How to start investing, camping with kids and is lockdown making our kids anti-social?

Today we’re joined by Canna Campbell - best-selling author of The $1000 Project and founder of financial media platform, SugarMamma.TV, as part of family finance month on Kidspot. Canna is here to talk us through investing for the first time and what we need to know. Our new regular contributor Evie Farrell is with us to talk about why she’s discovered the joy of camping with kids. And Sarah is enjoying the peace of lockdown but wonders whether it's making our kids anti-social. See omnystudio.co...

Jul 15, 202127 min

Iso with kids, creating a 'third space' and living with an affair

Today we’re joined by Dr Adam Fraser, about why we need to create a 'third space' between work and home – even during lockdown. Adam is Australia’s leading behavioural researchers and author of the bestselling book 'The Third Space', and he’s got some great tips on transitioning from mum mode to work mode. Mel has been in isolation with two kids and she's really struggling. While our new regular contributor Laura Mazza joins us with an advice needed question from a woman who has just found out h...

Jul 13, 202130 min

Ten-agers, self-care and the downside of daycare

Today we’re joined by the author of 'Ten-ager' Madonna King who joins us to talk about what our girls (and we) need to know about becoming a ten-ager. Our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson is with us to talk about starting that self-care journey. And Sarah asks what you should do when daycare starts to have a downside and your child is having a meltdown at the end of the day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 11, 202131 min

Travelling with kids and paying your mortgage faster

Today we’re joined by finance expert Renae Vercoe from Money Mode as part of Kidspot’s family finance campaign. She joins us to share her 10 tips for paying off your mortgage and household bills faster. Our new regular contributor Evie Farrell is with us to share why travelling with kids is so incredible for their development. And after an incident with Mel's daughter at school, she asks whether discipline has gone too far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Jul 08, 202127 min

Lisps, body dysmorphia after birth and family fallouts

Sarah asks whether you should worry about a slight lisp when your child is still learning to talk. We’re joined by Natalie Angel who is absolutely slaying it at the moment, after launching her platform Let Me Try Before You Buy, 12 months ago.She opens up about struggling with body dysmorphia after the birth of her son and the extreme way she turned her negative self-talk around… And our new regular contributor Laura Mazza joins us with a new 'advice needed' question about managing family fallou...

Jul 06, 202128 min

Toilet training, getting fit and Laura Csortan on single parenting

Sarah and Mel open up about the stress of toilet training. We're joined by the fabulous Laura Csortan – writer, presenter, former Miss Universe and mum to four-year-old daughter Layla Rose. She opens up about juggling work as a single mum and how she wants her daughter to have a relationship with his dad. And our new regular contributor Lauren Patterson joins us every Monday with a health and wellbeing tip to get our week off to a fab start! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Jul 04, 202131 min

Weekly Catch-Up

This week, Sarah and Mel get honest about the emotional toll of constantly being touched as a mum. We’re joined by workplace expert Samantha Sutherland to talk about why so many mums are on the brink of overwhelm. SAHM Jody Allen shares her tips for making money without leaving your home. Social researcher Mark McCrindle joins us to chat about how we should raise Generation Alpha. And Sarah admits she’s been making up stories about her babysitters, plus the hilarious reason why! See omnystudio.c...

Jul 03, 202155 min

'I've started making up stories about my babysitters'

Finding a good babysitter is like finding a unicorn who cooks, cleans and enjoys a wine at the end of the day. So when you find one, you hold onto them. Tight. Sarah has been lucky enough to find a couple of them, and she's admitted that she's gone to extreme lengths to keep them all to herself - including making up stories about them to her friends See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 01, 202112 min

How to help your Gen Alpha child thrive

Generation Alpha is any child born between 2010 and 2024. They will be the most tech-literate generation ever. So how do we go about raising them and helping guide them through a world that will look very different from how it did when we grew up? Mark McCrindle is a social researcher and luckily for us, he’s written a book called Generation Alpha to help us out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 30, 202111 min

How to earn money without leaving your home

Kids are expensive. It sometimes feels like the bills never end. Music classes, sporting teams, school fees, rent, mortgages. The list goes on. Covid has got more and more parents thinking about starting their own business and having the freedom to set their own schedule and work from home. Or, you might be looking for ways to bring in extra cash that works with the family. Today’s guest is known as the Stay at Home Mum, and she’s been there and done that. Jody Allen has a new book out called Ea...

Jun 29, 202113 min

Why so many mums are on the brink of overwhelm

Imagine you’re hanging out with three of your girlfriends (okay, sure you’ve probably been interrupted a thousand times by kids asking for things, but you’re together). Well, according to new research, at least one of you is on the brink of total overwhelm. What’s going on? We’re joined by Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Specialist, and busy mum, Samantha Sutherland, who says Aussie women (particularly mum’s) are more stressed out, overwhelmed and unsupported than ever before. See omnystudio...

Jun 28, 202113 min

The emotional toll of physical touch as a mum

Right from the moment you get pregnant, people want to touch you. Touch your belly, check your vagina, take your blood. Then you have the baby and you're settling, feeding, picking them up. You're constantly being touched. Sarah and Mel open up about the emotional toll it can take when you have small people (and a partner) constantly touching you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 27, 202111 min

Weekly Catch-Up

This week, Mel has found a word that perfectly describes this blah feeling so many of us are feeling right now. We have a fascinating chat with radio host Christian O’Connell about the panic attacks that made him quit his top-rating show in the UK and move his family to Australia. Chezzi Denyer joins us to talk about the mouse plague ravaging country NSW and how she plans to survive the school holidays (while living with her parents). Erin McNaught on how she gets some alone time with three 'boy...

Jun 26, 20211 hr 16 min

How do you choose a baby name?

Choosing a name for your baby can be a complicated process! Who gets the final say? How do you decide? Do you tell other people what you're thinking? Does it work with their surname? Sarah and Mel share how they decided on their children's names and talk about the various processes to get there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 24, 202112 min

Erin McNaught: The reality of life at home with three 'boys'

Today’s guest knows all about the juggle… she’s a model, TV star – did you see her on SAS – go girl!, and former Miss Universe Australia. Erin McNaught has been married to English musician Elliot Gleave aka Example for almost a decade, and the couple share two sons – Evander and Ennio. We’re well into winter now - snotty noses and coughs with kids is the norm - so Erin joins us to talk about staying healthy as a working mum, how she finds time to herself and the reality of life with three 'boys'...

Jun 23, 202116 min
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