Parenting comes with big ideas, cultural moments and the occasional guilty pleasure, and this week we’re unpacking all three.

Are fancy lollies the new Labubus? Stacey thinks this might be another sign adults are craving whimsy.

Plus, Amelia has declared Bluey’s dad Bandit a certified DILF, and we dig into why hot dads are suddenly everywhere.

And finally, Monz asks the hard question: has kids sport officially got out of control? Between fees, uniforms and weekend travel, is the cost of competition the newest victim of cozzie livs?

Our Recommendations:

🚘 Stacey recommends the Kmart portable folding lap desk for just $13, a road trip game-changer with a built-in storage lid.

✋ Monz wants you to try a specific greeting when you bump into other mums on a walk or run — a free, instant mood booster! (Guess which host is rolling her eyes)

👜 Amelia is loving the Project Ten Beach Bag; a recycled plastic tote from a small Geelong business, which is perfect for Summer!

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What To Listen To Next:

• Don't miss an episode of Parenting Out Loud
• Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts

What to read:

• Why grown adults are obsessed with toothy little monsters called Labubus.
• The rise of the teddy bear adult.
• 'The 'boring' parent is the unsung hero': 5 things Bluey has taught me about parenting.
• Good dads get more sex. It's official. And not even a little bit surprising.
• 10 realities of kids’ sport that every parent understands.

GET IN TOUCH:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Join our Facebook group Mamamia Family to talk about the show.

Follow us on Instagram @mamamia_family

CREDITS:

Hosts: Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks & Amelia Lester

Group Executive Producer: Ruth Devine

Executive Producer: Sasha Tannock

Senior/Audio Producer: Leah Porges

Junior Content Producer: Tessa Kotowicz

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friends, do you too have a box of keepsakes? Perhaps teeny tiny socks, some pre-school era artworks, maybe even some old baby teeth or twenty? Well your parents might have been a collector and we pitch that perhaps there’s some truth to this form of maximalism.

Plus, are we rushing kids out of childhood? Experts are saying that to delay delay delay when it comes to kids’ first years of school but there are some serious things missing from that theory which we’re going to talk about.

And, why we might just need to reverse the parent/child hierarchy and force our kids to fit into our schedules. Monz, Stacey and Amelia make the argument that our friend catch ups and our schedules are JUST as important as Timmy’s 3 hour soccer practice.

Our Recommendations:

💌 Stacey recommends a Meghan-esque parenting hack to capture the moments you might otherwise forget.

📚 Amelia recommends The Crucial Years to help guide those tricky conversations about sex and puberty with your kids.

💄 Monz is all about the lanoplips 12 hr overnight lip mask.

Support independent women's media

What To Listen To Next:

• Don't miss an episode of Parenting Out Loud
• Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts

What to read:

• 'I'm being told to delay my son's start at school, so I went and got the facts.'
• Meghan Markle writes a letter every night. They won't be opened for years.
• Exactly how much it costs to put kids through school in 2025.
• 'I got a small pay rise at work. Our childcare fees are now crippling us.'
• 'I've cracked the childcare code during the school holidays (and no, it's not vacation care).'
• Does it still take a village to raise a child? We asked 20 mums.
• 'Say goodbye to your Saturday mornings!' 7 parents and an expert on kids' extracurriculars.

GET IN TOUCH:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Join our Facebook group Mamamia Family to talk about the show.

Follow us on Instagram @mamamia_family

CREDITS:

Hosts: Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks & Amelia Lester

Group Executive Producer: Ruth Devine

Executive Producer: Sasha Tannock

Senior/Audio Producer: Leah Porges

Junior Content Producer: Tessa Kotowicz

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Holidays Parents! Are you having fun, are you a bit sweaty, dehydrated? Well don’t be, because today we're going to talk about:

• The mental health pyramid for both kids and adults that is both genius and incredibly simple.
• Plus, should you be able to choose who you sit next to on a flight and if so, would you ever sit next to a stranger’s baby again?
• And, do you have shameful little secrets? For some it’s Diet Coke, others the Real Housewives… Amelia it’s a rather quaint delicacy. We talk about the silly habits that get us through the motherhood trenches.

Our Recommendations:

🎒 Stacey recommends a car hack that will stop you foraging for all your sh*t and ensure you're never out of tampons again.

📺 Amelia is all for ABC Cartoon Live Stream. Sometimes newer just isn’t better.

🥬 Monz has got the best food hack you’ll ever hear, the Too Good To Go App is Uber Eats for restaurants/cafes fighting food waste. Want $30 assorted things from Bakers Delight for $10 - this is the place.

Support independent women's media

What To Listen To Next:

• Don't miss an episode of Parenting Out Loud
• Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts

What to read:

• HOLLY WAINWRIGHT: The details that make Nicole and Keith's split kind of about us.
• The 5 'rules' for reclining your seat on a plane.
• The ripple effect of mental illness no one warned us about, and what actually helps.
• In defence of Diet Coke.

GET IN TOUCH:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Join our Facebook group Mamamia Family to talk about the show.

Follow us on Instagram @mamamia_family

CREDITS:

Hosts: Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks & Amelia Lester

Group Executive Producer: Ruth Devine

Executive Producer: Sasha Tannock

Senior/Audio Producer: Leah Porges

Junior Content Producer: Tessa Kotowicz

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.