Empty Weekend Parenting & The Viral Rocking Chair Test

Young Millennials and Gen Z are currently spiralling over the ultimate 'Why Now?' question: To procreate, or not to procreate? To help, they've resurrected an unlikely guru from the 1980s — Merle Bombardieri — whose decades-old 'Rocking Chair Test' is currently trending as the ultimate fix for biological-clock-induced brain rot. We unpack whether a 40-year-old therapy book can actually solve the most high-stakes dilemma of our lives. Plus, Amelia Lester, Monique Bowley, and Stacey Hicks are diving into the rise of the 'Empty Parenting Weekend' . And, from Matt Damon's viral 'don't blink' dad take, to the obsession with Paul Mescal's mum, we're asking: Why is Hollywood parenting suddenly so wholesome? Our Recommendations: 🏝️ Stacey recommends Survivor season 50 on Stan, an all stars season that spans 25 years of the show's iconic winner. 🏃‍♀️ Amelia recommends trading the solo gym sessions for rugby preseason drills with the kids. 🌙 Monz recommends 'Mummy Mondays', her ritual for getting kids to open up about their worries by simply looking at the ceiling in the dark Support independent women's media What To Listen To Next: Don't miss an episode of Parenting Out Loud Wait, Did We Just Witness The Ultimate Co-Parenting Sin? The Problem With Being The 'Easy Kid' FFS, Just Invite People Over To Your Messy House So, Yeah. Turns Out THIS Is The Very Last Parenting Taboo Michelle Obama's Parenting Truth Bomb & A Middle Finger To Mothers The Beckham Family Estrangement: When Does Control Become Controlling? Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts What to read: There's a new parenting trend, and it's basically the excuse we've been waiting for. 'It's never the big stuff that derails our family trips. It's... everything else.' 'Australian Survivor has restored my faith in reality TV men.' 'I help women decide whether or not to have kids with these 5 questions.' 'I'm child-free by choice. But when my friend told me she was pregnant, I felt grief.' GET IN TOUCH: Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au Join our Facebook group Mamamia Family to talk about the show.

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Empty Weekend Parenting & The Viral Rocking Chair Test is an episode from This Glorious Mess by Mamamia Podcasts.

This episode is 35:56 long.

This episode was published on Mar 6, 2026.

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