In this episode of It’s Good To Talk, I chat with Josie from Play Based Pēpi to talk about the very real journey of parenting, relationships, and rediscovering who you are after kids.

Josie unpacks conversations she and her husband have had around parenting their three children and the work that goes on inside and outside of the home.

She shares the challenges, the laughter, the love, and the growth that comes from being a team.

We explore the mental load, the invisible work that often goes unseen, and the importance of showing up for each other, even when life feels messy and chaotic.

This episode is a candid look behind the curtain of modern family life, where no one has it all figured out, but everyone’s trying their best.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, underappreciated, or just needed reassurance that you’re not alone in this parenting gig, this one’s for you.

We speak about:

· How parenting can shift your sense of self and identity

· The emotional labour and invisible work behind family life

· What it really means to “share the load”

· Why communication and empathy matter more than ever

· How small moments of connection can rebuild a relationship

Resources Discussed

Follow or connect with Sophie:

· Instagram: @playbasedpepi

· Website: playbasedpepi.myshopify.com/

Connect with Emma

This podcast was funded and created by Emma Mclean, the founder of Works for Everyone.

Emma Mclean is a mum of three and founder of Works for Everyone, a professional development business that partners with NZ's leading corporates to help them retain and grow their working parent talent. She does this through innovative leadership programmes, executive coaching and keynote speaking. She founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family.

As an impatient optimist when it comes to system change, she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” in 2023 where she talks to humans who

are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in NZ that are career building, not side stepping." To work with Emma or enquire about speaking – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/