Tram driver championship - Melbourne drivers!
Can Em and Michael review the World Tram Driver Championship? We have two Melbourne drivers competing https://www.reddit.com/r/melbourne/comments/1mypa5o/sally_and_craig_from_melbourne_will_be/. Website - https://www.tramwm.com and video from last year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zQ9jt9L5sk
How do I take time off to dissociate?
Hi Em, I had my autism assessment last week and although I haven’t received the final report the psychologist said it’s likely audhd. Whilst I’m not surprised, in typical autistic fashion my emotions often take a bit of time to catch up. Since the appointment I haven’t really had time to just sit with it because you know, life, but the kids are with their dad this week and I can feel myself needing to have a day to just basically shutdown. But I feel guilty taking one. I don’t really have a huge amount going on work wise so it’s not going to leave me in a hole there. But taking a day off just to basically go catatonic just feels wrong. The irony is I work in HR and if someone told me they felt this way I would immediately tell them to take the day off. I also don’t want to be judged by my colleagues, particularly one colleague who has made her dislike of me pretty obvious. Not that they need to know but he that’s the adhd overthinking kicking in 😆. So, help me advocate for myself (or give me a good lie I can use to take a day off guilt free).
Book Week for adults
Hi Em! I’m getting the costumes ready for my kids for Book Week (Angelina Ballerina and Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid). If you were dressing up for Book Week as an adult, if this were a totally normal thing to do, who would you dress up as? Love your work, I recently upgraded to Extra Extra and WORTH IT ✨
The big Christmas Dilemma!
Raising a (probable) Neurodivergent child who is also an only child. We are coming up to the age where Christmas is going to come with a lot of questions. Questions she has probably been pondering for years but isn't ready to ask out loud yet! I thought we would have hit this stage earlier, but not having any older siblings, probably worked in her favour! I obviously can't use the old, "you get to become a Santa and keep the magic alive for siblings" trope that so many other parents use. I am at a complete loss on how to approach, or deal with this topic when she is ready to bring it up! Any suggestions so I don't completely rip out her heart!?
What is everyone’s special interest topic?
I love a passionate ramble. Hearing James talk about Taylor Swift and Odie’s passionate defence of Conrad(?) last week got me thinking, what other special interest topics does everyone have? Benjamin? Michael? Love an F1 dump by Em even though I’d never watch a race myself. Go forth and ramble on whatever this week’s hyperfixation is. Please and thank you!
Raising a teenage boy with PDA
Dear Em, I need to hear your thoughts on raising boys in this world. My son is 13, in year 7, and I’m terrified that he’s going to go down the Andrew Tate type path. We have always had a turbulent relationship. He has a PDA profile and has resisted every single thing I have ever said to him or asked him to do. I mean EVERYTHING. The other day we were on a tram with my wonderful (but full boomer) mum, his grandmother, and she pointed out that he should stand and give his seat to a woman if there was a shortage of seats on the tram. He then asked me why? If women are able to do anything - like they say they can - why can’t they stand up on a tram if there are no seats? He said it was “sexist” to expect him to give up his seat for a woman. I actually tend to agree with him that there’s no real reason for a man to give a seat to a woman if she’s not pregnant, elderly or physically disabled, but it got me thinking about how a kid like him is so confused about being a gentleman versus looking out for himself. In his mind, if women are so capable and equal to men, why do they have to treat us any different to how they treat men? Relatedly, he can be quite rough with his 9yo sister at times and I’ve tried to explain to him about how important it is to not lay his hands on a girl, ever, without her permission, but he just scoffs and asks why are girls so special?? Why can he hit boys but not girls? I of course told him he shouldn’t hit boys either (which I actually don’t think he would) but how do I explain to his PDA self in a way that will help him to understand rather than just resisting my advice as being “sexist” (his word) which I feel makes it worse? I’m so worried for his future and feel totally helpless to help him 😖
F1 insider knowledge
Hey Team! I’m absolutely loving everything F1, especially being able to share a common interest with my teenage son. My question is, one day I’d love to go to the F1 in Melbourne. I live interstate so it’d be a treck. I know you’ve experienced the race thanks to Mercedes, but can you give some insight into what’s worth spending the dollars on and what’s not? Am I better to pay for a better ticket, but on practice day, or go budget on race day? I don’t want to go all that way for a ho-hum experience. Any insight from a local would be appreciated.
School dramas
Hey Em. I am at my wits end with advocating for my son to have an education in an environment that isn’t traumatising him and actually does/knows how to do their jobs. I don’t even know exactly what I’m asking at this point, I guess maybe just for some encouragement? Because I am done. D. O. N. E. My eldest kiddo is 10. He is a magical autistic being, with PDA profile and ADHD. School has been a nightmare for him from day dot. He is bright, funny and clever, and loves to learn, but even with a supported schooling placement he doesn’t thrive in that environment. Homeschool you may say? Many have! But the thing is, I have three other kids, all autistic or AuDHD, and I recently received my own autism diagnosis. My husband has basically accepted his neurodivergence but hasn’t formalised it yet. I need to work for my own sanity as well as loving my job. Ironically, I work in education. In a special needs school. My son does not attend my school and cannot, for various reasons. Big kid has spent more time suspended than anything else since kindergarten, which just makes me sad. This is his third school and so far no one we have come across appears to have any understanding of how to support behavioural challenges, putting him in the too hard basket and making unreasonable demands of us. We have an active and engaged allied health team, who mostly support him at school as that is where his greatest support needs are not being met, whose advice and strategies are constantly ignored. School complained that his meds “weren’t working” so eventually in consultation with his paed, we weaned him off to find out if there was a better option and school went off about how they cannot possibly support him off meds 🙄🙄🙄 You truly cannot win with these people. We’ve tried looking for other options, but short of distance ed and going to work with my husband everyday, it seems like he’s either not “disabled enough” for most schools or “too disabled” for others, and specialist behaviour schools say he isn’t bad enough yet. Do I have to encourage my kid into a life of crime to get him a decent education?? Anyway. Sorry for the rant. This is not something I’d ever really thought I’d have to encounter in life and I’m struggling. SOS. I’m tired.
DCC Making the Team
In light of the recent DCC season 2 release, I was wondering if you’ve ever watched the OG DCC Making The Team? It’s all the joy of Kelly and Judy except 2006. My personal highlights include the early 2000’s makeovers, and the royalty free music used for everything (clearly the budget was not quite what it is now). I would love to hear your debrief!!! (it’s on Paramount Plus - which we obviously all have subscriptions to because of five bedrooms)
Response to your call for thoughts about people with platforms posting about global issues
Hi Em, Long time Emsolation listener, Fran here. Really enjoyed your chat in extra last week about Greta thunberg’s post about people with platforms and about the moraility of living our lives and posting about other things, all the while, while this horror is going on. I hope I don’t seem like I’m coming for you but I do have some thoughts and you did ask your listeners for these. Please know I don’t mean any disrespect. I have been feeling more and more angry about this issue (not with you because you do share stuff and speak up) with certain Australian and O/S Celebs who have not said a fucking word about Gaza (other than sharing that bullshit AI image ‘all eyes on rafah’ on their stories… ONCE!). The ones that make me the most angry are the ones who have children… I just can’t understand how they don’t feel utterly compelled to share and plead with our government to do more to save these innocent children from murder, starvation and terror… 🤯 Anyway… you said that one of the reasons you don’t post a lot is bc of people Coming for your parents…. I’m sorry that this has happened, but can I ask how this has happened? Like through social media (but are they even on social media?). I know you said your choice not to post is more about protecting them than you, but aren’t they public figures because of you? They don’t have to be known to the public, but are because it’s a part of your brand (and band!) and content creation . Similarly with your children…. I am sorry to hear that people have come for them, but I also feel like it’s your choice (and Marcella’s now she’s an adult) that your kids are in the public domain. So I suppose, as you were saying in the pod episode, too bad, if thats the consequence of posting about this horror. I also think, as Michael was saying, that it’s absolutely fine to post about other things. Putting out content is your job, and that’s super important. We do have to (and get to - we are so privileged) get on with our daily lives, as meaningless as that seems when I think of what these people are going through in Palestine. But I think we can do that AND do whatever we can to speak up about alll the fucked up things that are happening to all of these human beings. Anyway…. My thoughts, From Fran with 156 followers on IG doing her best to share and influence basic human morality
Housekeeping
Hey Babes, I hope you’re staying warm and glittery af. Can I get a 2025 update on the best ways to interact with you and the podcast? Should I listen to the main episode on YouTube and then listen to the Extra episodes on any podcast app? Is there a podcast app that sends ad revenue your way? Further, what’s the best way to receive updates from Ben, Chella, and the team? I don’t use any social media that has reels because I have ADHD. Am I missing out on updates? And.. Can I preorder your audiobook? Best, Lachie. PS: Did you ever want an update on my Lovenumdrum? I’m Lovenumdrum Lachie, the bartender who asked for your advice on leaving Melbourne for my London Lover. XO
Year 12 Parenting Survival & Michael’s Television Beginnings
I have a two part question that I’d love to get the advice of both Em & Michael. First, I have an amazing 18 year old son who is autistic and currently completing year 12 VCE. He is depressed and overwhelmed and struggling to sleep and eat despite there being absolutely no pressure from his parents to get high marks. He has hated school since mid primary school but being a high level masker, has pushed through in misery not wanting to appear any different to everyone else. Part of his stress stems from him being a sensitive, deep thinking, theatre and film loving male who is surrounded by sports loving, binge drinking, disrespectful dickheads who he can’t stand and he feels like he’s the odd one out all the time. He is such a smart kid, a deep thinker and incredibly creative but because he has some struggles with processing speed, he doesn’t do well with exams and timed assessments despite the special considerations he gets which really rocks his confidence. Em, you’ve been through this so do you have any wisdom to share about how to help a magic brain teen get through the pressures of year 12 in one piece. How did you maintain your daughters self worth during this shitty time? Secondly, I wanted to ask Michael, how did you get your start working in television? Did you do any further study to get there or was it through working and making connections? Do you have any advice for a passionate film loving 18 year old who is hoping to study film and television next year with hopes of working in the industry one day? Thanks so much for everything. I look forward to listening every week. Love you both.