The New Normal Podcast

Do you ever feel like being a parent means having to be prepared to answer ANY question from your kids about ANY life thing at ANY given moment? In this episode, we talk about scrambling for age-appropriate answers to questions from our kids about their bodies, sex, and those strange noises they might have heard coming from the next room after bedtime. *Ahem*. Other not-NSFW topics of conversation include our current reads online and off, whether motherhood makes you more creative, and even a recipe to try for dinner.  If you like this episode, or any of our other 41 chat-a-thons, we'd love it if you left us a review at iTunes. See thenewnormalpodcast.com/review for step-by-step instructions. Thanks! SHOW NOTES: Podcast Dear Sugar (again!) Books: Cheryl Strayed's Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things Book: Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed Book: Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project Article: A millennial and a baby boomer trade places by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Michele Hanson Blog/book: Adulting Blog post: Why Do Teenagers Rebel? Thoughts from a 19-Year-Old Who Didn’t Recipe: Jamie Oliver's Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Bake Hot topic article: A list of behavioural things to expect from preschoolers when they are learning about their bodies Book: Where Did I Come From? Yay: Miranda July Yay: You can still buy Gratton Design furniture!

Joanna Francis from Miette Handmade has recently returned to Melbourne after spending six months living in France with her French husband and their two kids Anouk and Leo. We ask her definitively whether French children really do throw food (newsflash: they totally do!) and what its like to raise bilingual kids.  With a background in international aid work, including a stint living in Afghanistan, we talk about how to talk to your kids about different cultures and teaching empathy, plus how to prepare for long plane flights with little kids.

Whoa, we really cover a lot of ground on today's episode - our 40th! Off the back of a bunch of podcast recommendations, we talk about how introverted kids adapt to the online world, as well as touch on the topic of voluntary assisted dying which is the focus of Andrew Denton's new podcast series. Emma's trialling a new way to be productive in short bursts of work time, and at last, Tess has an update on her Paid Parental Leave saga as described in Episode 34.  Leave us a review on iTunes if we float your boat :) SHOW NOTES Podcast: Andrew Denton’s Better Off Dead Podcast: Parenting Rebels Podcast: Edit your Life Podcast: Quiet with Susan Cain Book: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi on Cup Of Jo

Hannah Fox is a successful and talented mixed media artist and mother of three boys under five. She shares her journey to becoming a full-time artist after stints in events and graphic design, including what happens when your studio has to become a nursery. In this episode, we cover the whole gamut of the parenting and business world, from having kids who aren't interested in arts and crafts, to how to put a monetary value on your creative work.  You can also follow us on iTunes. If you like this episode, feel free to leave a review on iTunes - it helps other busy parents to find our podcast. Thanks!