Three Doting Dads feat. Larry Emdur

Welcome to three doting Dads.

I am Maddie Jay, I'm Ash, I'm Larry with a sock on my mic.

This is a podcast all about parenting. It's the good, the bad, relatable and if you've come for any type of advice, I'm going to be stop you right now.

Although today might be different.

And we have Larry, and we've been pitching learn from Larry all week.

Each other, like do you know what learn from Larry? That'd be great.

People have been going to be so confused. Ye, if you're coming for advice, sit down, attention, no distractions. But Larry, I'm going to pash your ego right now for a second.

If I may, he's usually pashing mind, let me tighten up my sock.

Look, when we think about dad who are successful, you are at the top of that list. You've got a beautiful wife that you were still madly in love with as far as I'm concerned, see on social Instagram. Never lie, never, never, exactly. You've got a very successful career right now, and more important, when you say.

Right now always, it'll never end, it will never end.

And more importantly, you've got two beautiful children who not only are very successful, but it seems like you're still best friends with them. Yeah, what is the secret?

Oh?

Tell us everything?

You know what?

I don't know? And I get asked that a lot too, And I feel very blessed and very lucky. I think most dads would say that about their kids. But I don't know. I've just written a book recently where I tried to work that out and I couldn't work it out. It was nothing you always want. You want to be a great dad, you want to be a great parent, you want to be a role model, you want to be helpful for the kids. But there's nothing that I did. I didn't set off down a path of being I want to.

Be great mate, going to be perfect, and it's just, you know, it's just.

Worked out that one. I feel very lucky because I know that's not everyone's story. I know that, but I feel very lucky now that I'm best mates with my son and best I was with my daughter yesterday and they're older and they, you know, they've got every reason to not want to.

Hang out with the Yeah, because your kids are similar age to me. Really right, I'm thirty two.

I've had a sec to me.

Apparently that's young, but your son's thirty.

Twenty nine, twenty nine, how would you do it?

Twenty four?

Okay, so your son's really close to my age, and it's kind of like you're coming out the back end of what we're just really embarking on.

Yeah, yeah, you've cross the finish line on that about pretty much had to go into like a grandparenthood at some stage in the next probably five to.

Ten years, right, And like for us, we've both got a four year old, two year old really embarking on that entry level. Yeah, sucked in, dad, Yeah, I was going to invite you over to change and happy.

Let's start right back at the very beginning, right before you have kids. You're expecting kids. Sylvie is pregnant, and I'm going to talk about this almost like it's in like the Dark Ages, which I know it's not, but back then it was very different from where we're at

Well, we had no electricity, so it was like you had to light candles and no Netflix. There was no television. Look at they were very different times. We didn't have the resources. I think you're exactly right, the answers to all your questions on Siri now and on the phone and oh and there wasn't that there. But you know, we had a great It wasn't that long ago, but we had great support system, my mum and Sylvie's mum and we lived actually in an apartment in Bondi on

Well, said, I went to two of them.

There were eight hours long on a Saturday, the worst two saturdays of my life. I'll never get that back. And I don't think I learned anything well that I can remember. And like, yeah, like Matt was saying, there's a very big technological difference between like when I was born we could talk about because of similar age first our kids now where we just.

Literally did a whole episode the other day on how YouTube.

Is the best parent because they, yeah, they pretty much look after my kids. If I'm just like, here's my phone, kid, It's like back then, I don't know. I always it rattles me how you did it and how much pay you would have had to have Back then?

Was it something that came easily?

It was okay, you know, it wasn't about Joie was actually sick when he was born. He had his sort of an underdeveloped valve, and so it was indigestion, but major indigestion every time he laid back even a little bit. So he for the first probably better part of a year of his life, he never slept for more than forty or fifteen minutes. Yea. So it was full on and I was traveling I was in Melbourne every second week for four days at a time doing Prices Right.

Yeah, it was.

Interesting the challenge in that from a relationship perspective of course, and a parenting perspective, but you know, like all things in that situational, most things in that situation, it turned out okay.

Yeah, for sure.

I think at that time too, you kind of like, well, we'st We've got to get on with that because there's not much we can do with the situation.

But also the pressure as well, like the Price is Right was just huge. It was one of the biggest shows in the history of TV in Australia. And what were you at the time when you were hosting it, late twenties.

Yeah, I was late twenties. I mean, it was nothing compared to what Sylvia was going through at home.

But it was fun.

I was going to work to hang on last No, no, no, no, no, I don't hear this. Probably she will probably hear it.

No.

I was going to work in playing games and from you know, a mother, a new mother's perspective, who wasn't sleeping sitting at home. I'm in Melbourne. I'm surrounded by girls in bikinis and launcher, you know, like you know, like it was, it was.

It was interesting, you know.

I felt for Sylvia during that time. It was difficult to go like that with no sleep and be stressed and all the anxiety around that, and then see how you sort of down there playing games and having fun.

Did you watch the show while you were down there?

And I don't.

Like she says no, but I feel like she's hidden cameras around this place. She's Polish, so I think I like to keep an eye on.

Yeah.

So when it came to the prices, right when you were given that contract, how did that conversation happen with Sylvie? Was it always a case of I finally been given what I've always wanted. I'm going to take this, questions asked? Or was there ever a case of maybe not doing the prices right.

No, No, there was never that because my life was TV. It's all I'd ever done. I couldn't do anything else, you know, she said, you want to go away and get a job closer to home as a surveyor or an engineer as well. There's nothing else in my life that I've ever done or I could do, So there's never a question of that. But it's just I had to take the show because it was a huge show.

It was good.

That money was good. It gave us good lifestyle. I have some nice house, It gave us all the good things.

Have you a real platform too, Yeah, yeah.

It's set us up for life basically. But at the time, you know, all of that whittles itself down to screaming sick kid at home, you know. But I couldn't leave the prices, right. I don't think she would have wanted me to not work. I don't think she would have wanted to be sitting around the house. Yeah, but yeah, there was never.

A take care of two kids then, yeah, exactly.

But there was never a question of you know, that was the culmination of everything I'd done for years and years and years before.

And how long did you do prices right before? Because your kids are what five years apart?

Yeah? So I did price for I think four or five years in the first block. Then I had a break for a while, and then went back and did it for another three or four years, then had a break for ten years, went back and did it for another year or so. It's been on and off, So people think it's been on for twenty I've been on for twenty years because that run repeats like i'd finished.

Rare looks really young. What's his secret? Yeah?

Those double breasted suits? Are they still live? So there was this sort of perception that I was doing it for ever and ever and ever, which was fine by me as well. I mean, I'm very happy to be that none as that guy.

When you look back at those first few years being very very difficult, was it always on the cards to have too or did you guys come out of no no.

In fact, no, no, no, no, no, no, Sylvie was a flight a's in it and we were traveling all over the place very cheaply or for free, and we were love it, having this great lifestyle, right, and then we decided, that's so bloody selfish. And we got to a point where I think all our friends who had had kids were having other kids, and we thought, of course, you know, we've got to try try for another one, another one. And we got a perfect little you know, perfect little daughter.

Yeah.

And did you find when you decided to have a second child and you did have your second child, what was your work life and family life then like different to the first child?

You think?

So? I think we were probably better set up, like we were in a comfortable so when Jie was born, we were in an apartment on the top floor with no lift.

You know this seven hundred.

And before we'll work or coals would delivered to your doors, right, so I away. So we've got the baby and the shopping and this and.

The you think, you know, there's that thing where it's like you got to carry every grocery bag the one tree like that we lack seven hundred steps to take sixteen.

You leave one bag down there next time it's the frozen. So I think the next time we had a house, we were more comfortable financially, We're in a better place career wise, I was in a better place. And I think all those things play into, you know, a comfortable, I don't want to say happier house, but just a more settled house.

Yeah, cool, do you think?

Yeah? And we we spoke about this the other day as well, that you sort of subconsciously with your second child remember things and how to do things, and all of a sudden, you're way better than than you were with your first trouble without even really thinking about it. And I think, like, we set out to have two on stage, then we had one, and I'm like, I'm

Yeah right, you know, it's just like but it's also down to.

That I'm much more patient and much more calm. Why It's like I definitely don't get upset with her as much as I would have with my son, because the first one, you're just you're learning how to do it as you go.

Yeah. Yeah, So after the first one where you said I'm never doing that again. Was it because it was just so hard for you?

Yeah, it was, yeah, so hard, But it was sort of like our story is sort of similar with Oscar had silent reflux and forty minutes around the clocks and really took a toll of my wife, which was the hardest thing to watch that happen, and I think I was just traumatized from that. I've never really spoken a whole heap about it with Matt and Keish, but it was sort of like, yeah, watching a shell of a person that was my wife because of how hard that time was, made me think I can't do that again.

Also my thing for yourself, Larry, one of the hardest things I'm assuming it was hard is the fact that you're a new family. You know your wife is doing her very best, but there's also that added pressure of the fact that you know this notoriety right now is building. You're becoming such a familiar face. How did you guys juggle. That was it something that you guys found quite difficult?

Well, I mean there was nothing that we ever had to really focus on. Like I think Sylvia came into my life where I'd been hosting TV for a while, so we're getting a bit of that anyway, So it was all right too, you know, and we lived at Bondai and we walk up.

And down in the front of WHO magazine.

Yeah, I know your situation. You know that happens in a short space of time, right, you go bang and all of a sudden, you're famous guy. But for me back then, it was this slow crawl up and then you get you're kind of you're kind of getting used to it. Social media wasn't around, so it was really just that face to face walking along Bondi Beach and people saying nice things to you.

But how did the kids react when they're a little bit older and you know, if you guys would go out because I remember seeing you when I was younger at Perisher and I remember thinking to myself, holy shit, it's Larry, And you know, I was like, do I go up, do I say anything? But obviously so many people will come up to you and speak to you your kids, like.

Dag, what is going on?

Sometimes sometimes it's okay and then sometimes it's less okay.

When is it not okay?

If you're having sort of a private ish moment, it's not okay.

You know, like if you're trying to put the kid in the back of the car and there's kicking a.

Screen, there's that they're sitting down at a nice restaurant with Sylvie. That might not be okay. But now with social media, everyone just wants you all the time, you know, it wants a bit of that.

All of the time.

There's no boundaries now, I find then you get the strange people come out hiding their phone, going you know, like trying to sneak just say hi. It's a very strange world.

I think like a lot of people can't pick up on like you were saying, like you know, a personal moment. A lot of people can't pick up on that personal moment that you're having with your family to wait to go okay, well there now they're walking back down you know, Bondo Beach. Maybe now I can say hi, Larry, Yeah, yeah, I loved you on the prizes right, are you still doing it?

Or come on down.

So I was sitting yesterday in a coffee shop in Crown Street in Sydney with my daughter and was a lovely day. We chose to sit outside. We only had she had time for a coffee on a work break, and we sat there and three four people stopped and said start. I mean I should have sat on the street, you know, for that I wanted that time with her. It's funny because one person stops, and then if someone stopping and take yourself, you know, and then the next person goes, oh's what's happening over?

It starts this.

Thing I created a So maybe you know, I should have gone sit with tea for twenty minutes half an hour. Maybe we don't sit on the street on a nice day. And most people are nice because the shows I've been involved in Price is Right and Chase the Morning Show, they're nice show so they're not a villain. So people are just saying nice things. A guy the other day walk past and goes, oh, you're a pisser, Carl, and I'm like, okay, you.

A compliment.

I'm Eddie, I'm not I'm coffee.

Okay.

Did you ever have to have the conversation with your kids and you know it's out.

Yeah, there's been things.

Yes, I'm a fucking big deal.

Maddy's just gearing up because he's going to have to have that.

It's a thing. No, you know, it's been part of their lives forever too, and it's okay, Like it's not bad, and it's it's got me a place and a car, and it's got you right here and here I am, here, I am so you know, we live with it and it's nice. An old TV executive one said to me, if you're on TV and people aren't wreckinging you, that's when you've got a problem, not when they are recognize you when they aren't. So okay, that's good.

When you think back now all of those years being a dad, what do you think is the hardest part.

Stumped him? Got him?

No, I think I think it's in yourself. I think it's in yourself thinking am I doing this right?

Yeah?

And constantly challenging so like what is right? Yeah, that's right?

Is that thought process one that's just reoccurring every single year? Or like, you know, are you now at the point where you're like, do you know what I've done? A good job?

I can tell you both happily, it just goes from one chapter to the next. So Tea is now engaged, so it's totally consumed with the wedding. It eyes on well on his career path. So we're talking about that all the time. We've got our family dinner tonight, which I love, and it's all about hearing from them, but hearing them articulate things and face their challenges and get better at things. That's you know, that's a beautiful thing

And do you have a family dinner every week?

No?

No, no, this is the first one about a year. But no, we do when we can. We actually, we actually do when we can. I saw Tea yesterday. I'll walk or train with Jai a couple of times a week.

So we're close.

Yeah, for sure.

What's the secret to having that closeness? I always think, is it just the case of you know, the fact that the door is always open. You know, I would if they came to me with a problem, I would never get.

We know what happens when your doors are open.

I'm going to say that I think it was easier to form these sorts of relationships before phones and laptops, tablets. But you know when you see these families every night at a restaurant, even down at the beach, and dad's on the phone and Mum's on the phone and there, So we didn't have that. You know, Jo and I go for surf tea and I'd go for drive and she loves antique shop, so we do this stuff and we're not on the phones. So I think these relationships

For that, I think thinking back to my relationship with my dad during the same time, and like we didn't have that technology for most of it, so we used to serve every day.

We used to do that, like that was our thing.

And then I think as we both got older and technology came into it, we are actually.

More distant than we ever have been.

And I have an older sister myself, and they have a different relationship. But I've got one boy and one girl as you do, Yeah, both very much into their early adulthood. Do you feel you raise them any differently? Do you think there is obvious things?

But yeah, I think I did, And I haven't really thought about this much, but just hearing yourself, I think I did, and I think inherently you do. A different relationships is your favorite? Next question, We're both my favorite, but for completely different reasons.

You know.

It's and this is the thing that they both have these enormous strength and fantastic personalities, but they're completely different obviously. So Ji, our relationship was you know, surfing and walking on the beach together and doing all the fun that sort of fun stuff. And then Tia and I had a completely different relationship where she's very really really smart, very very philosophical, you know, very philosophical, reads lots and stuff.

How was that with disciplining?

So classic classic family Sylvie very good at disciplining. Not sorry, Sylvie tough, tough on her as her upbringing she was, She's Polish and she was brought up in Poland, and I think parenting changes greatly around the world, and the way she was brought up was very, very different to the way I was brought up. And I was brought up in this sort of happy, kind of carefree, surfy family and whenever there was any sort of friction, which.

Yeah, you left school at fifteen, Yeah at sixteen, right, yeah, And were your parents like, yeah, that's fine.

Well back in the day, that was kind of fine too, like because you go off and do an apprenticeship, So it wasn't what it is today. It was like, you can leave school at sixteen if you've got an apprenticeship, which I didn't have. I was going to be a garbo because it was the best surfing shift. Yeah, for sure, I made the garbo. We started four o'clock, finished at eight thirty and go surfing all day. I'm like Ian

Yeah, that really early on with my daughter.

I think I definitely parent her differently. I'm very aware of it, mainly because yet you put this protective front on, but I don't have that same protective front with Oscar like my elder.

It's more he'll be right.

Yeah, you're sending him out to work, and is that even for Yeah? Yeah, fact what everyone always says to me with Marley and Laura as well, like oh, when she starts dating, that's going to be tough, And I kind of laugh it off because for me that just feels like an absolute lifetime away. Is that a really tough time in their life? Yes?

Oh great, No, it's not a tough time in their life. It's a tough time in the parents live. I think because you want them to be safe and you want them to be happy and.

All makes sensible decisions. You probably didn't make sensible decisions.

That's right, that's right. And of course when I was talking to the kids about school because I was kicked out of school when I was sixteen, Like, I'm like, go to school and focus on your working like dad, practice what you free? Yeah, back in the stupid corner, dad, But yeah, the dating thing for Tea and she did knowledge this now that I was Yeah, I was normal dad in that situation. And goodness, it wasn't. I mean, social media was around, it was early, it's not what

It scares the shit out of me. And make he's only one and a half. Imagine one's going to be like when she's it'll finish.

By then it'll be my fat Yeah.

Yeah, bad.

You mentioned she's engaged.

Now.

Is it on par with looking at when she first started dating versus when her boyfriend is coming to you to ask to marry her? Is one easy than the other.

Easier because we knew him at this point, right, So he knew him and we loved him. We love him, and he's fantastic and how he treats her and how he adds to her life equally, they do it equally, but you can see as a couple of fantastic that's as opposed to meeting some kid from school. He goes, how's this going to work out? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, but he Roell is a lovely, lovely guy. And to see them in a relationship, you go, okay, that's meant you know,

What happened did you?

And I cried, you know, it just straight away wow, like a blubbering mess straight away, and it was it was a beautiful moment because you know when you see daughter that happy, and you know, and they've been they've lived in Bali for a year, so the relationship had been well and truly tested, and it was a beautiful moment.

Yeah.

Yeah, and he's going, is that a yes, she's picking this guy. Yeah.

But that that was very very special.

And now we look forward to the next thing whatever, you know, maybe that's grand children, you know whatever. We got the wedding and then that, so it just goes from one. The parenting thing just goes from one chapter to the next.

Har ending.

But is google now? Hey Siri, how will I be a good granddad?

How do you feel about being your granddad? Is that something you're really excited for?

Well, yeah, I don't want to preempt any not that I don't think that's happening anytime soon, but I feel like I'm too young to be a grandad. But I also feel like i'd be a really cool granddad thell come around, we'll play prices right games.

But also you're a granddad with tats as well.

Yeah, we wanted to ask you about your tats, so you've got matching tat with Ji.

Yes, so, and these are little things, you know, They're just funny little things that over your life you pick up and you run with. And we were at a rowing carnival for Joe, he was a rollerback at school. We were walking along the pathway along the river. There was another race going and there was a team coming forth and their coach was riding next to them on the path next to us, yelling out over the megaphone, come on boys, if not now when? And then then

That's amazing, yeah, and it's very special to us.

And then when tears like not for me? So Tea was always like, what tattoo are going to get for me? What are you going to get for me? I'm like, well, we don't have any of those sayings. So we came up with her star sign that goes over eyes tattoo. So it's the waves of Aquarius going over the if not now when? So I've got both my kids on my heart. Yeah, shut Have you.

Got your kids taed on you yet?

I've got I've got one of them. I've got Marley May's birthday which is just on my triceap and I had every intention to get Lola's birthday, but been very busy. I haven't done it yet. Yeah, but you gave Macy prime spot.

On prime spot that Yeah.

And then Oscar got my my arm. But he always like he always like points him out which one's me. I'm like, that's sorry, mate, you're down here.

We can do your other one. Now we can do a prison tat now if you do that. He's got a sewing kid. I've got some innk we could.

I didn't expect to be getting tattoos and.

Here we are.

But then you've also got the love heart with the three hours.

Yes, yes, yes, I've got so love heart he with the three arrows.

When did you get that?

Well? I had the heart for a while and then I've got the three arrows a year or so ago in Bali, and then on this arm, I've got like a decorative S for Sylvie and then a sort of a T and a J inside that, so they're all over. They're all over.

There's no escape.

Cool granddad with all the tas, you're going to get all your grandkids on you.

They might have heaps of kids and you're just covered in.

Well, I've got to start back in the gym because Sylvie's saying they looked all right, but now they're just all getting inside.

Old Man's let her change.

When you look back at your years as a parent, maybe there's no answer to this question. It's going to be very self critical. Do you ever think I really wish I was better at this? Is there one part of parenting where you think I wish I had done something? Lots?

I mean, you know lots. I wish I was smarter so I could have helped at school. It's funny that I was. I was a dumbo at school and I couldn't read all write, I couldn't add up. So the kids out groomy in the smarts very quickly. You know, they were coming to me with with homework at twelve years old that I couldn't answer you. So I wish I was smarter for them. I wish I had more intellectual input in what they were doing. But I think I've been around a lot and I'm happy for that.

I was here and I was very much part of their being present for sure.

Yeah, I think so I got made to travel the world all the time, and you know they'll see their kids every second Wednesday and before I get on another flight or other mates who go to work at six in the morning, come home at eight at night. Uggould have the dinner and a beer and go to bed. Got nothing left, I.

Think, So it was changed so much of that too. Yeah, for me, I had Oscar and COVID was before COVID, and then COVID here and all of a sudden I was home every day and spent so much time with him in that that I think we, you know, bonded

So it's definitely changed so much. That's why he's being president. It's huge.

Yeah, So by hook or by crook, I mean some of that presence was because I'd been asked and I didn't have a job, but it was good time at home.

Yeah, for sure.

I don't regret that that time, and I think that's I was lucky like that. If I could do anything again, I wish I was smarter.

That's a good answer.

I could have helped, you know, I could have helped with that stuff. But I think the life lessons of the street smarts or the even being the fun dad, I think is as its place.

Yeah, absolutely sure, good answer. Like I mean, I left school too when I was fifteen sixteen, and I can tell already that my kids will out grow my smarts very quickly, and that's you know, I'll be proud of that. But yeah, you've been able to provide street smarts and other things that maybe that really smart book Dad couldn't have provided.

Maybe well, you know, we'd get to a point where Silvie go, can you help Joe with his homework? And I'm like, no, but I can order the pizza like that, I'll hunt and gather. Yeah, can't we get a cheator?

The issue about interviewing Larry as our first guest is that the bar has been set very hard to bloody high. Whoever comes in next, we'll be like, it's just not quite as good as Larry.

Were going to put a spread on?

Yeah, can we also? Can we just say Hash messaged you on on social media and we weren't quite sure if you were going.

To reply, just a stab in the dark.

We should be honest, shot our shot and we didn't think you were going to invite us to your place because we said, he can we come to your apartment? You've invited us in.

Two strangers into your house and we know each other.

This is the most beautiful spread also, so I just want to say thank you so.

Much, thank you so much for having us and like, we wanted to learn from Larry today and I've learned so much.

We'll hope the next house that you go to is the house of a real dickhead and sad.

I'm just going to come back for Larry. What else can we love to day?

Yeah? Yeah, for sure, so yeah, thank.

You so much for having absolute pleasure guys.

And your book Happy Is Larry is still out now?

Still out now?

Where can I pick it up?

Probably in a two dollar clearance bin?

I imagine, na is that the sign copy or the unsigned?

It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you guys, Thank you so much. If you're listening right now and you thought, hey, I quite enjoyed that episode and for the first time, I've got some advice that I can actually use my

For Thank you for listening. Appreciate it and Larry, thank.

You so much for welcoming us in your house and pleasure guys putting on a spread.

Love It. Two Doting Dads podcast acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia and the connections to land, sea and community.

We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torrestrate Islander peoples today. This episode was recorded on Gadagal Land