1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: It's the Happy Families podcast. It's the podcast for the 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: time poor parent who just wants answers. 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: Now you want to be part of the crowd. 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 3: Yes, it's about belonging. It's about acceptance, about being. 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 4: Part of the end group. 6 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: And now here's the stars of our show, my mum 7 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: and dad. 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 4: Gooda. 9 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 3: This is doctor Justin Colson. I've just been reprimanded of 10 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 3: having chocolate around my lips. 11 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 5: And now, well after last week's effort of buying a 12 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 5: treat without me, you've now had another one. 13 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 3: If you missed it last week, I well, you've heard 14 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 3: what just happened, and I've been eating some chocolate cake 15 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 3: just before we've recorded this podcast, and now I'm getting 16 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 3: in trouble for it? 17 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 4: Can you take me? Seriously? No, I can't. 18 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 2: I've still got a chocolate smear on. 19 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 3: Here we go gone now it was chocolate taught with 20 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 3: extra strawberry and a chocolate and strawberry taught. 21 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 4: Really enjoyed it. I offered you some you didn't want any. 22 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 2: No, because I'd had my ment balls. 23 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 3: Around righting how good you'd been, but clearly not mind you. 24 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 3: You still said no, I'm justin your colylie. We've got 25 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 3: six kids on the founder of happy Families dot com 26 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 3: dot I you do you remember when you were a kid? 27 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 3: Simpler times, right compared to today? Would you if you 28 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 3: could be a. 29 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 4: Child today or a child back. 30 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 3: In the eighties when we were growing up, seventies, eighties, nineties, 31 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 3: what would you choose? 32 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 2: I would go back in time. Yeah, every time? 33 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, why is that? 34 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: It was just life was simple? 35 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 4: So it was simple times. It was yeah, so simple. 36 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 5: I can't imagine having to navigate what our children are 37 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 5: navigating now. 38 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, back back when we were when we were kids, 39 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 3: I remember the big issues were yoyo's, whether or not 40 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,639 Speaker 3: you could walk the dog or do around the world. 41 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 3: I mean that that mattered in grade three in the 42 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 3: early nineteen eighties. 43 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 5: I just remember, you know, hanging out with my friends 44 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 5: as a teenager and listening to the radio with your finger. 45 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 4: On record and play ready to record your favorite song 46 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 4: under the cassette tape. Yes, yeah, I remember. 47 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 5: That, and then don't leave it in the car too 48 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 5: long because the cassette tape tape would get all the 49 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 5: heat would destroy the If you live in a hot place, 50 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 5: make that really crazy sounds. It slurred everything out. 51 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 3: So I thought today, we might talk about the crazes 52 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 3: of our day and compare it to the crazes of today, 53 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 3: because the reality is at the moment, because of TikTok, 54 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 3: because of Instagram, because of Snapchat, because of social media, 55 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 3: some of the crazes that have been getting around for 56 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 3: the last few years are really concerning. There's a brand 57 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 3: new one called the milk Crate Challenge that we're going 58 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 3: to talk about soon. But it just got me thinking, 59 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 3: what were the crazes when you were growing up? Can 60 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: you remember any? Like I said, for me, it was yo. 61 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 5: Yo's so girls used to love writing love letters to 62 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 5: the boys that they liked. 63 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 4: That was a craze, it was would you call that 64 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 4: a craze? 65 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: Well, I don't know, I don't. 66 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 5: I don't remember any crazes. I just remember remember, Yes, 67 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 5: that was before me. 68 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 2: That was after me. 69 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 4: Oh what about do you remember Tassos. 70 00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 2: I just never got involved in any of this. 71 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 3: You were't a crazy person? Oh see, I was into 72 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 3: all the crazes. 73 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 5: I had the of Marbles, never oh gosh, cabbage Patch 74 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 5: girls kids? 75 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 4: Yeah? 76 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 3: Okay, what about when you got older though? Okay, so 77 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 3: there was taoos and tamagotchies and things. Did you do 78 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 3: any I'm guessing no because you were a girl. But 79 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 3: teenage boys used to get involved in some ridiculous crazes, 80 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 3: these fads that went through the school system. 81 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 4: We used to have this stingy like mullets. Oh, mullets 82 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 4: a perfect example. 83 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 2: Yes, I never had a mullet. 84 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 4: No, I'm kind of grateful to hear that. 85 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 5: I really like fringes and high fringe. Actually, someone posted 86 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 5: a picture the other day of their high fringe tea, 87 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 5: you know with the girl when the girls used to 88 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 5: tease their fringes and they used to. 89 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 4: Be really high. 90 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: Oh oh right, okay, yes, the fringe went up because 91 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 3: when you said tease the fringe, I'm thinking this is 92 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 3: way too technical to me. Kylie is sitting up at 93 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: me right now demonstrating what a teased fringe looks like. 94 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 3: But of course there's a podcast and no one can 95 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 3: see what you're doing. Yeah, the teas fringe. So there 96 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 3: was this thing that we called the whimp test, the 97 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 3: wimp the wimp test, and this was a craze that 98 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 3: went through the New South Wales central coast when I 99 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 3: would have been in about grade nine. So we're talking 100 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 3: about very late nineteen eighties, maybe the very early nineteen nineties, 101 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 3: somewhere around probably bang on nineteen ninety ish. And the 102 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 3: Whimp test was you made a fist and on the 103 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 3: back of your hand, you had to drag your fingernail 104 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 3: along the back of your hand. Okay, so you make 105 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 3: a fist and then just drag your fingernail from your 106 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 3: other hand across the back of your hand and scratch it, 107 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 3: and then you scratch it again and scratch it again, 108 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 3: and you had to do one hundred of them, and 109 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 3: you actually had to scratch it. People would watch you 110 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 3: doing it, and if you didn't sort of lift the skin, 111 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 3: if the skin didn't go white, you weren't putting enough 112 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 3: pressure on it. 113 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 4: And it was called the whimp test because you had 114 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 4: to do it one hundred times. 115 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:49,119 Speaker 2: Who does these things? 116 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 3: People that want to assert their masculinity by demonstrating that 117 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 3: they can scratch themselves one hundred times with force. And 118 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,559 Speaker 3: what would happen is that you would lift enough skin 119 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 3: that you would start to bleed, and then you'd be 120 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 3: walking a around school for the next two weeks or 121 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 3: thereabouts with this big sort of five centimeter scab down 122 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 3: the back of your hand to demonstrate that you were 123 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 3: not a whimp, because you would pass the whimp test 124 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 3: because you'd put a great big scab on the back 125 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 3: of your hand by scratching a hundred times. 126 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: I don't know where I was, maybe under a rock, 127 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: but I'm grateful. 128 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 3: The girls didn't do that one. It was just actually 129 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 3: there were a couple of girls that did. But that 130 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 3: was the boy thing. 131 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 5: Well, I remember a story you did tell me, but 132 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 5: you were much older, you weren't a teenager. 133 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 2: Which one the milk challenge? 134 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 4: Well, I did it twice. 135 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 3: There was a teenage milk challenge, and then there was 136 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 3: a sort of right there was, so we had another challenge, 137 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 3: another craze that was going around when I was at school. 138 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 3: I don't know if I should tell this one. You've 139 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 3: already told it, have I on the podcast? 140 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 2: I'm sure you have. 141 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 4: Well, I'll do it again in brief. 142 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: So maybe it's just the fact that I've heard you 143 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 2: tell it. I don't know. 144 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 3: You're not a fan of this story at all. Who's 145 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 3: a fan of vomiting the milk challenges? Basically, when I 146 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 3: was in grade nine, my friends came around my night 147 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 3: and said have you done the milkchair? 148 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 4: Everyone's doing the milk challenge again. 149 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 3: This is about nineteen ninety one New South Wales, Central Coast, 150 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 3: and I'm like, what's the milk challenge? And they said, 151 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 3: you've got to drink two leaders of milk in ten minutes. 152 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 3: And I thought that would be really easy because I 153 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,119 Speaker 3: was I was going to say I was a professional swimmer. 154 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 3: I wasn't a professional swim, but I was a squad athlete. 155 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 3: I was training like crazy, four hours a day in 156 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 3: the pool. I mean that's a lot of swimming. And 157 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 3: I just had a big bottle spaghetti bion A's. But 158 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 3: I grabbed two leaders of strawberry milk out of the 159 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 3: fridge that mum had just bought and I drank it. 160 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 3: I reckon in about five or six minutes. I mean 161 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 3: it just went straight down, no problem at all. And 162 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 3: then to prove that I could hold it down and 163 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 3: everything was fine, I went for a run just to 164 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 3: be my manly self and that was it. But when 165 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 3: I was in my probably nineteen, I definitely left school 166 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 3: and some friends said, hey, do you want to do 167 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 3: the milk challenge this weekend? And I said, that's pretty lame. 168 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 3: I did it when I was in grade nine, and 169 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 3: it was easy. And they said, we don't know anyone 170 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 3: that's done the milk challenge. You think that was easy, 171 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 3: You're the only person we've ever heard or who did it. 172 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 3: They said, how did you manage? How did you drink 173 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 3: four leaders of milk in an hour? And I kind 174 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 3: of did a double take. I was like, no, no, no, 175 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 3: it's ten minutes and two liters, and they said, no, no, no, 176 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 3: it's an hour and four leaders. So that weekend we 177 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 3: went down to the bird. 178 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 2: It seems pretty easy. If you could do two liters 179 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 2: in you ten minutes. 180 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 3: You'd think so, But the stomach has limited capacity. I discovered, well, 181 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 3: don't you just go to toilet. No, you don't process 182 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 3: it that fast, like, it doesn't just pass through you 183 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 3: that quickly. And so I drank the first three leaders 184 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 3: in less than thirty minutes, and I sat against the 185 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 3: wall of the building that we were drinking four Leaders 186 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 3: of milk each outside. 187 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 2: I reckon I wouldn't make it an hour without going 188 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 2: to the bathroom. 189 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 3: It was don't get caught off on the technicalities. It 190 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 3: was a very very painful experience. And what I will 191 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 3: say is that the stomach doesn't seem designed to be 192 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,679 Speaker 3: able to hold four liters of milk or four leaders 193 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 3: of anything. And around about fifty five minutes into the 194 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 3: hour that we had for it, I only had about 195 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 3: five hundred mills to go. But I've watched everybody else 196 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 3: bring up there milk, and I just knew in five 197 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 3: minutes I wasn't going to get that five hundred MILLI 198 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: leters in no matter how hard I tried. And so 199 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 3: with about two minutes to go, I took a great 200 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,239 Speaker 3: big swig and then I just opened up my mouth 201 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 3: and three and stuff and three and milk just and 202 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 3: you know the funny thing about that much liquid leaving 203 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 3: your body through your mouth. 204 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 4: Like just this great big white water. 205 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 5: I've had lots of liquid leave my body, a big 206 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 5: white waterfall of lots of time. 207 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 3: I know there's really gross, but this is what teenage 208 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 3: boys do, right, a big white waterfall of vomit. And 209 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 3: because there's three and a half leaders, it just keeps going. 210 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 3: Like you open your mouth and it's like somebody's turned 211 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 3: on the fire hose. Three and a half leaders takes 212 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 3: a long time to leave. The digestive tract from the 213 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 3: stomach and come up through them like I reckon. I 214 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 3: actually thought I was going to suffocate because I couldn't 215 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,839 Speaker 3: breathe air in because there was so much milk coming out. 216 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 3: We need to actually get on with why we're having 217 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 3: this conversation about craze. As we've talked about yoyo's and 218 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 3: tamagotchi's and tazos and milk challenges and and whim tests, 219 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 3: but we need to talk about why our kids are 220 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 3: doing them. And we've got to talk about planking, which 221 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 3: led to deaths a few years ago. And we've got 222 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 3: to talk about the tide pod challenge and the choking challenge, 223 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 3: and we've got to talk about the Milk Create Challenge, 224 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 3: why it's happening, what it means for us as parents, 225 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 3: and why our. 226 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 4: Kids are doing this stuff. We're going to do that 227 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,319 Speaker 4: right after the break. It's the Happy Families Podcast. 228 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 6: Imagine a home where discipline got results without anyone having 229 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 6: to feel bad or in trouble. The do's and don'ts 230 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 6: of Discipline as a webinar to help parents set limits 231 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 6: with love, compassion and humanity. Find it now at Happy 232 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 6: families dot com dot au slash shop. 233 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 5: It's the Happy Families podcast, the podcast for the time 234 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 5: poor parent who just wants answers now and thankfully we 235 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 5: have got past the milk challenge. I hope that you 236 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 5: are still still hanging in with us right now. 237 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 3: Please don't judge me. I was a teenage boy. I'm 238 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 3: so sorry. There's a whole of internet crazes that have 239 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 3: taken the place of those I'm going to say, those innocent, dumb, 240 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 3: mostly harmless challenges of our childhood, and the challenges have 241 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 3: changed because social media rewards outrageous behavior. 242 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 5: It's interesting, as I was listening to you and just 243 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,839 Speaker 5: thinking back, like on my childhood. Like I said, I 244 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 5: don't know if it's just because I was under a 245 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 5: rock or not, but I don't feel like girls gravitated 246 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 5: to that kind of behavior as much. But in saying 247 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 5: that the internet is full of girls these days, it 248 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 5: doesn't seem to be favored by one sex or the other. 249 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 3: So boys do tend to take more risks than girls. 250 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,719 Speaker 3: But social media has probably leveled the playing field a 251 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 3: little bit because it's all about likes, it's all about reactions, 252 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 3: it's all about going viral, it's all about being the 253 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 3: next big Internet thing, and I think what's. 254 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 4: Really going on here is. 255 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 3: We know from neuroscience that the promise of a reward 256 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 3: always outweighs the risk of the behavior. So if the 257 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 3: kids are looking at something that's really risky, they're intelligent 258 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 3: enough to tell you that it's risky and they can 259 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 3: explain what the risks are. We know that when it 260 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 3: comes to adolescence, their capacity to identify risk and danger 261 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 3: is not particularly different to adults. It may be a 262 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 3: little bit because we've got more experience, but they're intelligent 263 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 3: enough to figure stuff out, and they can explain things 264 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 3: really clearly. They're just so drawn to the promise of 265 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 3: reward that they overlook the risks in ways that adults don't. 266 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 5: The other day, I actually watched somebody do the milk 267 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 5: Greate challenge, and as an adult looking at it, I 268 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 5: didn't even find it funny. I was literally on the 269 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 5: edge of my seat, thinking, what is this person thinking? 270 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 4: And this is the difference again between probably male and female. 271 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 3: And also because I'm the kind of person I am, 272 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 3: and I'm kind of impulsive, and I'm kind of excited 273 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 3: by challenging things, and I'm always up for a challenge. 274 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 4: I want to do hard things. 275 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 3: And I watched the Milk Great Challenge for those of 276 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 3: you who have not seen it, Essentially, people create a 277 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:05,319 Speaker 3: pyramid out of milk crates with a height of five 278 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 3: milk crates in the middle, and then four on either side, 279 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 3: and then three and then two and then one, and 280 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 3: they have to walk up and then down the milk crates. 281 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 3: But milk crates are notoriously unstable, and milk crates wobbly, 282 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 3: and they don't obviously sit on top of each other 283 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 3: perfectly well, like they're going to stick together, but not well. 284 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 3: And by the time you get to the fourth one, 285 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 3: it's wobbly, and by the time you're standing up on 286 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 3: top of the fifth one, you're up kind of high, 287 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 3: and this thing's wobbling all over the place, and people 288 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 3: fall down and they hurt themselves, and I mean you 289 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 3: can break limbs and that sort of stuff. The other 290 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 3: really popular ones recently a few years ago, there was planking, 291 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 3: and you probably remember there was a couple of deaths 292 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 3: in Australia. So when you do a plank, you basically 293 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 3: lie still like a log. And people were just planking 294 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 3: in outrageous places, like on balconies of gold coast apartments 295 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 3: and every now and again somebody would overbalance and fall 296 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 3: off while they we're lying like a plank. There's the 297 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 3: choking challenge, where people literally fill themselves, choking each other 298 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 3: until they pass out. There's the tide pod challenge. So 299 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 3: in Australia we don't have the brand tied. I don't think, 300 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 3: but it's a laundry detergent. But these kids are getting 301 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 3: on social media and they're literally eating, swallowing a laundry 302 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 3: detergent or a dishwashing detergent capsule tablet. Yeah, and like 303 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 3: you and I, we're looking at each other going, these 304 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 3: people are nuts. But like I said, social media big rewards. 305 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 4: And you know why people really did drink four leaders 306 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 4: from well I didn't. I didn't. 307 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 3: I drank three and three quarter leaders of milk, thank you, 308 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 3: and then we've already had that conversation. But you know 309 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 3: why they really do it? Do you know what they 310 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 3: really do it? It's not just the reward. There's one 311 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 3: central reason that people, especially teenagers, especially teenage boys, do 312 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 3: these really dumb things. 313 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 2: It's peer pressure. 314 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 4: Well it's not just peer pressure. Why does peer pressure work? 315 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 2: Because you want to be part of the crowd. 316 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 3: Yes, it's about belonging. It's about acceptance about being part 317 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,199 Speaker 3: of the end group. And that's why these challenges catch on. 318 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 2: That's why I never caught on. 319 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 4: You didn't care. 320 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 2: I didn't. 321 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 3: And I think that this is probably where we need 322 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 3: to bring in the parenting stuff. Our kids are smart, 323 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 3: but they're easily influenced and they want to belong. So 324 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 3: if you've got a child who wants to participate in 325 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 3: these sorts of challenges, it's a great opportunity to open 326 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 3: up and say, are our. 327 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 2: Kids going to tell us that? I kind of don't 328 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 2: think they are. 329 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 5: No. 330 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 4: But what we can do is we can say here's 331 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 4: what I know. 332 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 3: I know that you've been watching these challenges and you 333 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 3: want to do them, and I just want to go 334 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 3: through the risks make sure that you're across them like 335 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 3: I am. 336 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 4: Yeah. Okay, So climbing on top of milk. 337 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 3: Crates like that, you could fall and break a bone, 338 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 3: but it is going to look awesome on the internet, 339 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 3: isn't it? And if you break the bone, you're going 340 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 3: to get even more awesome responses, aren't you. So let's 341 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 3: actually put it out there and say does that seem 342 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 3: smart to you, or just to belong, just to belong. 343 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, and this is why you're doing it. 344 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 3: It's dumb and it's probably mostly harmless, but it might 345 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 3: not be when we're talking about a choking challenge, when 346 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 3: we're talking about planking in dangerous places, when we're talking 347 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 3: about a tide pod challenge dangerous. And so we want 348 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 3: to go back through and explore, explain, empower kind of. 349 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 4: Conversation with them. 350 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 3: Remember, when they're not in the moment, when they're not 351 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 3: seeking the reward right here, right now, they're much more 352 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 3: likely to actually access the part of their brain that 353 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 3: will think things through. 354 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 4: And so we just say, what's the deal? Why do 355 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 4: you reckon? 356 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 3: These people are doing this stuff and your kids are 357 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 3: going to give you really good answers. And then instead 358 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 3: of you explaining why you don't want them to do it, 359 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 3: which is what I normally say here, I think a 360 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 3: better response would be to say, why do you think 361 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 3: I've got concerns about this particular challenge, get them to 362 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 3: explain it to you, and lastly empower them. So if 363 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 3: you're given an opportunity to participate, or if you're thinking 364 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 3: about participating in a challenge like this, what's the best 365 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 3: way to respond. 366 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 4: That's the way that I approach it. 367 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 5: So you've talked about all of these challenges, but a 368 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 5: couple of years ago, there was this ice bucket challenge. 369 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 2: It all all the craze. 370 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 5: Everybody was sitting and letting somebody else dump a bucket 371 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 5: of ice cold water on their heads. 372 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 2: That was for a good cause. 373 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 3: Sure do you think that the milk creak challenge would 374 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 3: be popular if it was for a good cause as well? Like, 375 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 3: I mean, it could be, right, I don't think that 376 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 3: any cause would. I think most people who would be 377 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 3: a recipient, most organizations as a recipient of people doing that, 378 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 3: would say no, no, no, find something safer. We want your money, 379 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 3: but we don't want you to do in danger yourself. 380 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 3: But let's go back to this again. What that does 381 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 3: the ice bucket challenge is, it's about signaling. I'm aware 382 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 3: of people suffering, I'm trying to do something about it, 383 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 3: and I'm putting it on social media so oever and 384 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 3: can see that I care. So there's a lot of 385 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 3: signaling going on. But signaling is all about belonging. People 386 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 3: were doing it because they wanted to be part of 387 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 3: the crowd. They want to be part of the craze. 388 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 3: Even the grownups that were doing it, even the sports 389 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 3: stars and the academics and the politicians, they were all 390 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 3: doing it because they wanted to be part of the crowd. 391 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 3: The issue here, and again i'd bring this up with 392 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 3: the kids. I would just say, there are some challenges 393 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 3: that are fun and mostly harmless, and then there are 394 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 3: some challenges that are just really, really dangerous. How do 395 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 3: you distinguish between the two? And what will you do 396 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 3: when you're given the opportunities to participate in them? How 397 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 3: will you make a decision as to whether you do 398 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 3: or don't. How important is that reward? How important is 399 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 3: going viral to you? Is it worth your life? Is 400 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 3: it worth the hospital visit? Do you really want to 401 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 3: have clean insides so badly that you're willing to swallow 402 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 3: a dishwashing detergent tablet? And when you talk to them, 403 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 3: sensibly out of the moment, I think most kids are 404 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 3: going to be. 405 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 4: Like, yeah, I'm not going to do that. 406 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 3: And you know the other thing we get caught up 407 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 3: about all the worry around this stuff, but the reality 408 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 3: is most of our kids are not doing it. Most 409 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 3: of our kids are not choking each other Most of 410 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 3: our kids are not climbing up milk rates. Most of 411 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,879 Speaker 3: our kids are not swallowing laundry detergent. Most of our 412 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 3: kids are not planking, at least not in unsafe places. 413 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 3: Most of our kids aren't even doing milk challenges and 414 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 3: whip tests, let's face it. 415 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 4: Or playing with yo yos. 416 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:57,959 Speaker 3: And so that means that as parents, we're pretty much 417 00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 3: getting this right most of the time. But it's important 418 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 3: to to have the conversation and make sure that your 419 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 3: kids are making safe, healthy decisions. 420 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 2: Well, hopefully this has been helpful. 421 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 4: Bring back marbles. I reckon marvels were much safer. 422 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 2: I remember the days when we used to play elastics. 423 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 4: There you go, skipping right, there you go, So you 424 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 4: were into crazies. 425 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 2: Well maybe a little bit. 426 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 4: I just want to do a Tommy drop. You remember 427 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 4: You probably don't remember the tom bowl er. 428 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 3: It was the biggest marble and you could do a 429 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 3: Tommy drop and drop it on somebody else's marble and 430 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 3: if you dropped it hard enough, sometimes you didn't break 431 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 3: their marble. 432 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, Tommy drops are the best. Is to have such 433 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 4: a good marble collection. I don't know what happened to it. 434 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 3: Hey, we really hope you enjoyed this conversation about simple 435 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 3: times and dangerous times and the challenges and crazes that 436 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,679 Speaker 3: our kids get up to, especially with the advent of 437 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 3: social media and the Internet. 438 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 4: I hope it's been helpful. 439 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 3: If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave us a rating 440 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 3: and review. It's those five star ratings and reviews that 441 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 3: make all the difference in other people finding out about 442 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 3: the podcast and make your family happier. Oh by the way, 443 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 3: one of those five star reviews has just come through 444 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 3: from t Menage you who said, oh MG, why haven't 445 00:18:58,040 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 3: I listened to this earlier? My son's high school has 446 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 3: membership that parents can access. I even attended a short 447 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 3: seminar at school. I just wish I'd started listening to 448 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 3: this podcast earlier. It is fantastic, So thank you very 449 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 3: much for that five star review. We've had a bunch 450 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 3: comes through over the last few months, but we haven't 451 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 3: been reading them out and we're going to start doing 452 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 3: that again. The Happy Family's podcast is produced by Justin 453 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 3: Ruhlon from Bridge Media. Craig Bruce is our executive producer 454 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 3: and if you'd like more info about getting hold of 455 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:25,959 Speaker 3: that membership. 456 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 4: That makes such a difference because a happy family doesn't 457 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 4: just happen. 458 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 3: Please visit memberships at happy families dot com dot au