Kristen Toovey and Josh Pyke: Earworms, raving mums, Insta-kids and more

Writer, producer and director Kristen Toovey joins musician and children’s author Josh Pyke to give us their parental insights into the issues and events of the week.

This week that includes:

• The most persistent earworm your children have given you
• Whether breast milk is the latest and greatest party drug
• Extracurricular activities: how do you decide what to do?
• Balancing the perfection of Insta-kids with our own #reallyfe stories

Listen to Kristen Toovey and Josh Pyke on The Parent Panel:

Your most persistent earworm (thanks to kids) 

This week it’s been reported that the family responsible for the Baby Shark song is now millionaires, with an estimated fortune of $125 million.

Of course, some of those funds should be reallocated to parents who have had to endure the song both while the children sing it, and for the following day as it repeats ad nauseam in their brains. 

Children can be among the most prolific producers of earworms. What earworms have your children placed in your brain? 

And for those interested, you can see the Miley Cyrus video without music on YouTube.

Raving breast milk spray: yay or nay? 

A mum has been filmed at a dance party spraying breast milk on her fellow festival-goers.

In the video, the mum, dancing in a swimming costume with red sneakers starts massaging her breast and then starts spraying the crowd with breast milk while she gyrates to the music. Once seen this video cannot be unseen. 

What are your thoughts on the video? Did it disturb you? If yes why?

How do you manage extracurricular activities? 

This week we had Anthony Semann talking on Feed Play Love about extracurricular activities.

He argued that parents should be led by what a child is interested in, rather than what we think they should do. He says it’s no good for anyone if a child is overscheduled. Having said that, there is research that says music can help a child’s brain development (and academic success) and many argue that sport helps a child build resilience and learn to work in a team. 

Do your kids do extracurricular activities? How did you work out what they could (or couldn’t) do? What are extracurricular activities like in your friendship group? 

Balancing the unreality of Instagram kids

This week writer Kasey Edwards lamented the rise of the Insta-child. This is the child whose parents are always posting images of them winning stuff, being clean and well-behaved.

It made me think that perhaps we here on The Parent Panel could help restore some balance back to the world. 

What event/moment would have made the best Instagram story if you had posted it? I.e. When have your kids done something you thought – ha, that’s hilarious but I can’t post it because it would shame my kids/make me look like a mean parent?

Guests:

Kristen Toovey – on Instagram @kristen_D.A.G.G and Linkedin

Josh Pyke – on the interwebs at joshpyke.com, on Instagram @joshpyke and if you’re keen to check out his latest book with Justine Clarke A Banana is a Banana it’s Kinderling Kids Radio’s story of the week.

Host & Producer:

Shevonne Hunt – @shevonnehunt

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