To think Parenting Hell (the podcast) has become really unrelatable?

[DonningMyHardHat]

When it started back in lockdown and we were all struggling with working from home with kids, dealing with toddler tantrums, and navigating the stress and anxiety of unprecedented events; it was great.

However, in recent months I feel like it’s just not relatable to the average parent anymore. Hearing about ‘man of the people’ Rob Beckett’s 28th holiday this year, numerous concerts, trips and PR events for the kids, Josh’s second home in Cornwall etc. is all a bit grating now.

Don’t get me wrong, I fully appreciate that if I took umbrage with every piece of media created by someone more well off than myself, I’d be left with very little. (And we aren’t on the breadline by any means). But in a cost of living crisis it’s all starting to look a bit tone deaf. Two blokes complaining about how hard their lives are when the literally have nannies/very supportive families/don’t work 9-5s, and seemingly endless budgets… give me a break.

They seem like lovely blokes and I’m sure they’ve worked exceptionally hard for success, and that’s great. I just don’t necessarily want to hear about it when I’m driving to my 9-5 in my shit secondhand car.

Yes I know, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t listen’. But I can’t be the only one who used to really enjoy it who just feels a bit ‘meh’ now.

Teen commandments can be very funny but there are SO many adverts!

They’ve definitely ramped up the ads lately!

oh i agree on the stay at home parent thing, its just causes lots of rows on here.

Just adding to this quite late - I agree on the utilising their kid's lives thing although slightly different to my feelings on relatability.

On the latter, it's an impossible tension to resolve without giving up their podcast - like, the podcast that started from being relatable during Covid made them rich(er) and now they are no longer relatable, so what do they do? I understand they might want to manage that tension - or just ignore it!!

Having said that, I also find it annoying that their kids go to private schools. No real justification for that (other than that they do sometimes tacitly refer to somewhat socialist principles). I KNOW it's a personal choice etc etc etc so don't come at me. 😀I just do. Find it annoying that is. It's another 'we're all in it together' with this parenting thing except blatantly, we are not. And further, they clearly do not actually want to be. They want their kids to be separate.

I still listen to it and still enjoy it, but I’ve also started listening to Josh’s pop culture podcast which is excellent if you’re into that kind of thing. The question occurred to me would I listen to Rob doing a podcast without Josh? No. No is the answer.

Doesn’t annoy me that their kids are at private school, they are both multi millionaires now, I sort of expected that.

I loved the podcast at the beginning, it was so funny and relatable and now it feels like the moanings of two spoiled men. I don’t know maybe it’s normal after several years to go off something. Their kids are older now too and obviously they don’t want to share as much anymore.

but some of their first world problems like no Christmas tree in the room in the Maldives are just so OTT and shows how removed they are from the real struggles of parenting.

I actually really liked this weeks episode!

Try What Did You Do Yesterday. One of the presenters is a parent the other isn’t, very funny,

Agreed. It took me a while to get into it but it’s good. The guest episodes and midweek mayhem are both good.

Love what did you do. Hilarious. And brilliantly mundane. I don’t get the impression it’s made the presenters millionaires yet! Maybe I won’t like it if it does. I shouldn’t encourage people to listen just in case 😀 by way just seen rob and Lou Beckett both on sat kitchen tomorrow - a book to promote per chance 🤔🤔

I love WDYDY! Max might be the only man more tired than Josh 🤣

He’s really really tired! He deserves to be tired! His life is nuts!!! And funny (sorry max if you ever come across this thread) 😀

in the Times today - makes me laugh the brazen attempt to sell something that’s the norm for 90% of families but without additional help and financial security (and 5 holidays a year).

”rare escape from the family home” 🤣🤣🤣 she has been to Japan, Australia and the Maldives in the last 4 monthe alone

The "front line" read the room surely they know in their position she's not really on the "front line"

I've got no small army like many people don't. There is no option of going for one quick drink. Likewise the lone holidays. I really hope they reference their situation in the book is very lucky indeed.

From that snippet it also reads like dad's are shit but that's fine they are dad's, whilst I'd not argue that it often is the case mums are doing everything I certainly hope there is the tone in the book of the men need to step up.

My husband can work away and still know exactly what kit will be needed for school on what day. Exactly what's in the cupboards to eat because he did the shopping and meal planned.

Saw a photos of Josh’s twin kittens on The Last Leg last night, so cute! Surely there is an opening for a kitten/cat podcast.

My husband would be so embarrassed if I published a book about how I did everything for the kids. Thankfully it would be a brazen lie if I did.

Just listened to Lou on the podcast today and thought she came across really well. I’ve done a bit of a 180. Seems like it’s not just a whingefest but more of a consideration about loss of identity as a default parent

I’m unlikely to buy it but will keep an eye out at the library.

I saw that she was the guest on the next episode and decided to give it a miss. I don’t listen to the episodes religiously, now that there are so many podcasts out there I’m more selective.

Lou has been on every single promo opp for the book imaginable! And most of the time Rob has been on at the same time. I get you have to promo and its often part of the contract with the publishers, but I'm so sick of hearing about it that its actively put me off even considering to buy the book (which, tbh, I wouldn't anyway as their version of 'default parent' is unrealistic and unrelatable to the vast majority of us who are both working parents and also the default too!)

Have been listening to Josh's new 90s nostalgia podcast (Museum of Pop Culture) though and really really enjoying it! Recommend it!

I’m the same. Initially I considered reading it, however in life I tend to find the things with the most promo are usually poor. So the insane level of press she’s doing has truly put me off

@IDontDrinkTea I feel I've already read the whole book by virtue of hearing the headlines/talking points on every media outlet in my vicinity due to the promo! What would even be left for me to read?!!

It also felt wrong to me that Rob was on all the promo too. Its Lou's book. She wrote it. Why drag him along to all the promo... except to benefit from the increased audience and attention he brings? Feels a bit ick to me.

I've read the book and listened to every ep of the pod (save for the Luisa Z one, which I suspect no one made it to the end of?). Here are my takeaways:

• she hasn't got over not being able to breastfeed. She says something like "she wouldn't want my milk anyway, it's all S&V crisps and coke". We know that breast is best, we also know that some women can't and won't do it and that she needs to let that go. I'm sorry it didn't work out for Competative Lou, but don't bitch about those of us who managed it.
• she has difficult health issues to deal with (ulceritive colitus I think). Sounds awful and is the reason she's not back at school.
• there is a loss of identity once we have the child, that combined with not being able to work back in school must have knocked her confidence
• she knows she is privilidged
• she was the breadwinner at the start, her investment was sound

What I cannot get over (apart from the vitriol for those who can bf, this looms MASSIVELY in Lou's mind, I feel) is that when your partner makes the money it is your job to be the one at home. Without being all 50's housewife about it, if that's the decision you made, then knowing the PE kit and the music lessons and the £1 for valentines cakes and the name of the science teacher and the date of the next trip out IS your job. She doesn't cook. So the kids IS her job. Do it.

Who cooks when Rob’s not there??

I’ve heard Rob make a few snide comments about breastfeeding before, so that information is not that surprising unfortunately. Luckily, I doubt that anyone has ever listened for actual parenting advice. It’s comedy/entertainment….

A few episodes ago he also said something along the lines that when people say to Lou ‘you’re lucky that your husband is so hands on (!?) mine doesn’t do a lot’, she replies ‘that’s your fault for having kids with a useless prick!’. I was thinking WTF (yes I am divorced from from one but he wasn’t always like that so don’t responsibly for men’s failings). I think it’s fair to say that they are beyond arrogant.

the kids mostly eat beige food and take aways. Remember when they ordered McDonalds into
their Hotel in Dubai to eat at the pool?