What's been going on?

This week we talk about the Marilyn Manson abuse allegations made by actress Evan Rachel Wood and several others. We discuss how the responsibility of abuse goes beyond the abuser and that the system that allows abuse to occur, needs to also be held accountable. We revisit our own experiences with workplace abuse and how the organisation chose to ignore allegations, rather providing provisions to the abusers and gas lighting all victims. We conclude that while it's important to provide children with enlightened concepts about empathy, respect and love of all people, we still need to provide them with a system that supports those concepts and doesn't just continue to support those in positions of power, no matter what their behaviour is.

This week we look at all the back to school spam and clickbait articles that spread across social media at this time of the year. We consider the tone these articles use and how they affect the emotional wellbeing of parents today. We unpack certain articles that aim to scare rather than inform and we reflect on the broader impacts these have on our community. We also question the responsibility the media has in regards to parenting behaviour and how this will impact the kids of tomorrow.

This week we answered a listener's question regarding sibling rivalry and how she can keep the peace in her home. We discuss how conflict between siblings can actually be a great opportunity for children to develop skills like negotiation, independence, cooperation and boundary setting. We provide our top tips for creating a space that is respectful to each child, without creating separate living areas. We each share our own experiences with dealing with sibling rivalry and how conflicts only benefit and strengthen our relationships.

This week we talk about new year resolutions and whether they are helpful (or even possible) in the world we are living in at the moment. Naomi shares how last year's lock down forced her into her resolution and how it's changed her life for the better and Natalie explains how the lockdown allowed her to take stock of not only her physical surroundings, but her values. We also share our views on ways to reduce anxiety and feel more empowered about the everyday.

In this final episode for 2020, we share our top tips for a successful declutter of your children's play spaces, and prepare your home for a more organised and harmonious new year. We explain how in 10 easy steps, you can create beautiful and purposeful spaces that your children can not only enjoy, but maintain. We also provide some insight into how you can get your kids to pack away and how thinking outside the box can help the environment and other people.

This week we talk about death, the pandemic and how we've coped with the heaviness of this year and how it's been communicated to our kids. Natalie opens up about her father's recent passing and how that affected her and her kids, and how she's had to have conversations about death with her children, a lot sooner than she'd expected. Naomi shares her experience about discussing illnesses with children and how she's chosen to broach that topic. And, we reflect on how no matter how serious and complicated situations can be, we still prefer to talk openly and honestly with children, rather than keeping them in the dark.

In this episode we talk about sex-positive parenting and reflect on society's attitude towards sex when we were growing up, compared to now. We discuss the benefits of removing the taboo and having open and honest conversations with our children about sex.

This week we look at home organisation and why we value stuff more than function. We discuss common DIY home organisation mistakes and why its not as simple as buying some baskets & storage containers. We explain the impact an environment has on our mental and emotional wellbeing, and how children's learning and development are affected by spaces that are not purposeful or calm. We consider why families are spending their hard earned money on homes and products, but not organising them in a way that they serve purpose and bring value into their everyday lives.

In this episode we discuss the effects bureaucracy has on our lifestyle, health and parenting. We look at how COVID has changed the way we socialise and how education settings are influenced by organisational practices. We look at ways we can empower ourselves and regain some control.

In this episode we reflect on the impact of telling our children little white lies. Do the lies we tell benefit us or our children? And when the truth finally comes out, how does the parent/child relationship recover? 

In this episode we discuss parent behaviour at the playground and wonder if it is more harmful than helpful. We consider how the lack of risky play is impacting kids today.

In this episode we unpack a recent post that discusses how society downplays the effects of childhood trauma. We consider our own experiences with trauma and reflect on The Conscious Parent Movement by Dr. Shefali.