2 women, 2 mics and 40 years of diaries

In this teaser episode, meet mother and daughter Jenny and Lily who will take you on the ride that is My Mum's Bad Diaries. Each week, Jenny reads from her teenage diaries, starting in 1980. Part therapy, part entertainment, buckle up for the rollercoaster!


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Click to head to our show notes: mumsbaddiaries.com

We went back and listened to our season, especially the first few episodes and thought: we've learned so much, we CAN do better. Also we've learned how to put the beeps in for blanked out names! We have new theme music -- more Spandau Ballet, less Amelie. So re-join us for episode 1 -- re-recorded so that this time, and from now on, mum reads.

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Granddad tells mum someone's dead when they aren't...

We're diving headfirst into 11 July 1980 as mum reads out the first few entries of her teenage diary, written when she was 16.

We discuss this project that we’re taking on together, mum is nervous of course, reading your teenage diaries out for anyone to hear is one of the most revealing, vulnerable and excruciating things out there don’t you think?

So press play to hear us chat on about mum’s brief bible fanaticism, her economics class talk meltdown, and how the milk-bar man’s son was there when Gough Whitlam was sacked.

Listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.

Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com

Content note: we mention sexual abuse and violence, in passing (resources below)

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I find out mum's not as good a student as I always thought...

Join us in October 1980 as we change the format a little and mum reads her bad diaries to me. It's definitely a different experience having her share them in her voice, it feels more natural and less like I'm sneaking into her room to read her diaries!

We read about the mechanical bull at The Sentimental Bloke and chat about period anxiety and encounter some low-key racial profiling which just highlights how much attitudes have changed (thankfully!).

As always, listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.

Resources:

1800 Respect National Helpline; 1800 737 732

Women’s Crisis Line: 1800 811 811

Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491

Lifeline (24-hour Crisis Line): 131 114

Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277

CASA House @ The Royal Women’s Hospital: 1800 806 292

Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com

Content note: we discuss negative self talk, and other people's appearances

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Mum’s more scared about doing this podcast than I realised…

Throwback to 28, December 1980 when the summer heat was high and Joe Dolce was on the radio, incessantly. We read about camping at Wangaratta, chat about The Great Wall of Vagina and learn about how both me and mum have complexes about our noses, it must be genetic!

We also delve into the anxieties surrounding doing a podcast like this, what our family and friends will think, and who could potentially come of the woodwork…

As always, listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.


Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com

Content note: we talk appearance, cosmetic surgery, ageing, negative self-talk and self-image (resources below)

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I find out about the time a random guy grimaced at mum when she smiled at him…(rude!)

It’s another blazing hot day as mum and the fam are still camping at Wangaratta. Facing another cold summer in 2021/22 due to the La Nina winds I can't tell you how JEALOUS I am of their glorious consistent hot summers in back in the 80s... thanks for the climate change lol.

We read about Ned the echidna, chat about Harry, Megan, Archie and the Waffle Maker (if you know you know), plastic surgery and the Friends reunion, and mull over the relationship between privilege and self-esteem.

As always, listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.

Resources:

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Self-Esteem

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/self-esteem

https://headspace.org.au/blog/how-to-boost-self-esteem/

Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com

Content note: we discuss weight, appearance and diet (resources below)

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Today I find out that my grandad had a fake marriage...

This episode we unpack the 7th of January, 1981, and we start off with some light bickering as it becomes clear I completely misunderstood the differences of the Pill and mini pill. Mum is exasperated to say the least. I'm the daughter of a sex ed teacher for god sakes?!

We read about mum going to see You Can't Stop the Music starring the Village People and how people seriously, truly, naively had no inkling they were gay. Or Elton John for that matter.

We chat about the different beauty/skincare products of the 1980s (people were literally washing their faces with soap) and the rise of the beauty/skincare industry. We ponder the currency beauty can give you and the real world benefits of being attractive in a society that often seems to value attractiveness more than anything else.

Oh and we really put the too much in TMI as I share the gory details of my current thrush situation, give you a run down on my history with UTIs and talk about how my boyfriend wants to get a vasectomy!

As always, listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.

Resources:

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Self-Esteem

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/self-esteem

https://headspace.org.au/blog/how-to-boost-self-esteem/

Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com

I find out about a gnome called Wilfred…

This episode we start volume 2 of mum’s bad diaries, only 39 years to go. We discuss how we both don’t trust people who randomly change their names (why you trying to run from yourself?), the rise of homelessness in older women and mum going to see Flying High at the cinema.

As always, listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.

Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com

Content note: in this episode we talk about sexually coercive behaviour/sexual harassment

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I learn that everyone has trauma…not least our parents

This one’s a pretty heavy episode, but a good one as we read about some bad boys mum experienced when she was younger. It’s hard to hear your parent talk about their hurt but I’m so proud of mum sharing with me and that we were able to call it for what it was and give some clarity and support that she maybe didn’t get from the adults when she was young.

Oh and as always we check in on all my ~hormones~ and where I’m at in my cycle, because you know you just gotta.

As always, listen to experience: cringe, giggles and some real-life shit.

Resources:

https://www.1800respect.org.au

https://www.teachusconsent.com

https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/list-support-services

https://newyorkpathways.com/sexually-acting-out-as-response-to-childhood-trauma/

Follow us on Insta @mumsbaddiaries

Click to head to our show notes at: mymumsbaddiaries.com