Eat Sleep Repeat

Kelly and Kee are eating humble pie. Because a single mum slid into their DMs and (very politely) pointed out what happens when you say “just keep your sick kid home”… but you don’t have a partner, family nearby, or anyone to tag in. So we brought her on.
Meet Alice: solo mum to an 8-year-old, running a one-woman household with zero backup. We talk the relentless mental load, the stuff that keeps single mums up at night, the stigma (and double standards), and the kind of support that actually helps. Consider this an apology, a perspective shift, and a reminder to include single mums properly - not as an afterthought.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED
The Single Mother’s Social Club - Jacinta Tynan
The Council of Single Mothers and their Children
HOSTS & PRODUCERS
Kelly McCarren ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kelly_mccarren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Kee Reece Searles @keereece
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Madeline Joannou - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mylk Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Peak & Pit time - and this week delivers a full-body birthday spiral, a daycare room glow-up that somehow feels heartbreaking, and the kind of night-weaning chaos that makes you want to file a formal complaint against your own nipples.
Kel relives Lenny’s actual birthday: the cursed Women’s Weekly-style cake mission, the absolute audacity of a partner doing the wrong job badly, and a pub celebration that ends with… yes… screaming at the cake and mum.
If you want to play along each week (and read other parents’ peaks/pits), come join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eatsleepshitrepeat/

HOSTS & PRODUCERS
Kelly McCarren ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kelly_mccarren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Kee Reece Searles @keereece
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Madeline Joannou - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mylk Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It starts as an innocent mum-chat and ends in a full-blown research spiral: when are you meant to send your kid to school… and why does it feel like everyone’s suddenly delaying?
This week, Kee takes the reins on the school start age debate - from cut-off dates and state-by-state chaos, to the real reasons parents are choosing “later”, and why “the studies say…” isn’t as straightforward as it sounds.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED
2025 Macquarie University Study - Redshirting for remediation or advantage? Which Australian families delay children's school entry and why?
2019 Early Childhood Research Quarterly - School starting age and child development in a state-wide, population-level cohort of children in their first year of school in New South Wales, Australia
School Readiness Guide

HOSTS & PRODUCERS
Kelly McCarren ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kelly_mccarren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Kee Reece Searles @keereece
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Madeline Joannou - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mylk Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Friday - so we’re doing our weekly peaks and pits: a proper catch-up between friends, equal parts vent and tiny victory lap.
This week we’re coming to you from that end-of-January zone where everyone’s out of routine, the kids are a lot, and you’re trying to hold it together on vibes alone… but there are a couple of moments that save it.
If you want to play along each week (and read other parents’ peaks/pits), come join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eatsleepshitrepeat/

LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED
The Vocabulary App
BONDS Wide Needle Rib Slouchy Suit
Cleaner Kit App
The Housemaid
Wild - Kristin Hannah
K.L Slater Audiobooks

HOSTS & PRODUCERS
Kelly McCarren ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kelly_mccarren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Kee Reece Searles @keereece
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Madeline Joannou - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mylk Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever walked away from a catch-up feeling worse than when you arrived? This episode is for anyone who’s been burned by mum-friend dynamics - the subtle exclusion, the “nice but not really” energy, the unspoken rules - and wondered if it’s just you… or if the vibe is actually toxic.
Kee and Kelly unpack how these dynamics play out in mother’s group friendships, why the pressure to “make a village” can keep you in something that doesn’t feel good, and the boundaries that help when you can’t (or don’t want to) do the whole clique thing.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED
Breaking Up With MY Toxic Mum Group - The Cut
You're Allowed To Leave Your Mom Group - Ashley French

HOSTS & PRODUCERS
Kelly McCarren ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kelly_mccarren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Kee Reece Searles @keereece
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Madeline Joannou - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mylk Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.