Dear Wiggles: What Do I Do When I’m Parenting Solo?

What happens when your toddler is falling apart, your partner is away, and you’re the only parent in the room?

This week on Dear Wiggles, Simon and Lachy talk about the reality of parenting solo while one partner travels for work - the guilt, the meltdowns, the long-distance check-ins, and the little things that can help everyone feel a bit more connected.

To submit a question for the ‘Dear Wiggles’ segment, email us at [e-mail] or send us a DM on Instagram.

HOSTS
Simon Pryce
Lachy Gillespie

PRODUCERS
Produced by The Wiggles and Mylk Media
Madeline Joannou
Nick Webb

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About The Wiggles' Podcast - Wiggle Talk

Think you’ve got parenting figured out? So do Simon and Lachy - until the toddler throws a curveball. On Wiggle Talk - a podcast for parents, Red Wiggle Simon Pryce and Purple Wiggle Lachy Gillespie tackle the tricky, funny, and unexpected moments of raising little humans.

Simon, dad to son Asher, and Lachy, father to twin daughters Lulu and Lottie and stepdad to Jasper, share the highs and lows of parenting in the early years. Alongside their own stories, they welcome guests - from parenting experts to well-known personalities - who bring fresh perspectives and practical wisdom to the table.

Each week also features Dear Wiggles- where listeners send in their questions, the things that keep them up at night, or the dilemmas they’d love another parent’s take on. Simon and Lachy talk it through with honesty, and when needed, they call in expert friends to help provide thoughtful advice and reassurance.

With decades of experience in children’s education and entertainment, The Wiggles bring their trademark warmth and playfulness to conversations on everything from sleep and routines to tantrums, play, and the big feelings that come with family life.

Two dads, no filter, figuring it out as they go.

About The Wiggles

For over three decades, The Wiggles have been a beloved cornerstone of children's entertainment, captivating and educating millions of preschoolers—and their parents—around the world. Known for their high-energy performances, catchy songs, and colourful characters, The Wiggles have built a global legacy rooted in the power of music and movement to inspire early childhood learning.

With a mission to make education fun, The Wiggles create content specifically designed for pre-K, preschool, kindergarten, and nursery school age groups. Their unique blend of music, dance, and educational content not only entertains but also helps children understand the world around them. Generations of fans who grew up watching The Wiggles are now sharing that same joy with their own children.

The Wiggles’ impact is truly global: they’ve achieved billions of music streams and YouTube views, and have sold more than 30 million albums and DVDs, along with eight million books worldwide. The Wiggles continue to dominate the preschool entertainment scene, connecting with new generations through various platforms. Their live shows consistently sell out across three continents, and their videos are enjoyed on countless broadcast and digital platforms in over 190 countries.

The Wiggles continue to dominate the preschool entertainment scene, connecting with new generations through various platforms. You can watch them on ABC Kids, Netflix, Prime Video, and Stan, and stream Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles on Prime Video. Stay connected by visiting www.thewiggles.com, subscribing to their YouTube channel, and following them on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

The Wiggles' enduring

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Wiggles acknowledged the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia
and their connections to land, see and community. We pay
our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to Wiggle Talk, a podcast for parents. I'm Simon J.
Price the Red Wiggle.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
And i am Lachlan Gillespie the Purple Wiggle with no
middle name, no middle name.

Speaker 4 (00:31):
We've been there before. Yeah, it's great to see Locky
you too.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Something you know where you filmed outdoors last week? Yes,
on the way back, I was heading home and there's
a big bang I hear and I look around. I
can't see anything anywhere. I had no idea what the
noise was. I just didn't know what it was. Maybe
hit there's something, hit the rock or something. Get home

(00:54):
and realize that a rock has obviously flicked up from
a truck or something in front of me and smash
in crack the wind screen the bottom if I'm sitting driving,
the bottom left hand corner of the windscreen, and I
couldn't see because it was where it was and I
wasn't expecting yeah anyway, So there was a big crack
in the wind screen and then it starts to crack

(01:16):
a bit more then yeah, yeah, that's like a whole
window off. Yeah, well that's what happened. So I went
to They say, if it's bigger than a one dollar coin,
then you need to replace the whole wind screen. And
I also didn't realize that your windscreen now, because it
does all that rhode assist things, they calibrate the windscreen.

(01:38):
That's your windscreen doing that. How does that work?

Speaker 4 (01:42):
Well?

Speaker 3 (01:42):
The glass?

Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, I don't know. Is that that little black dots
aroout it? I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Surely isn't the sensors up near your review mirror.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, they had to recalibrate the windscreen when they replace
your whole windscreen for all those lame assists and all
that sort of stuff, which I had no idea about.
And then they didn't put the e tay back on
the whole thing. So now it may take just rolling
around there. It's surprising how I keep forgetting to hold
it up.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Do you have those chattist you like put it down?
You're like, yep, I've got this. When I drive through
that next time.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
And then it got me thinking, if you know, you
go into a car park these days and it's number
plate recognition. Yes, do we actually need the tag anymore? Like,
because because the camera recognizes that I do have an
E tag, it just didn't go off, just didn't work.
So do we still need the little good question?

Speaker 4 (02:37):
You know?

Speaker 3 (02:38):
Both that and the window glass has hurt my performing.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
Brain ability to think.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
Sometimes the camera would miss them your number plate down there.

Speaker 4 (02:54):
Maybe maybe that's what happens.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
But funny enough, like obviously just didn't have the laying
assisting on in the car prior now that they've recalibrated
by windscreen. If I go cruise control, not that I'm
doing and I'm two hands on the wheel ten and
two at all times, but the car just drives itself, like,
it turns the lanes and everything. So I obviously didn't

(03:16):
have that thing on anyway, but now I don't know
how to turn it off. Becau's actually be annoying at times.

Speaker 4 (03:20):
No, it's very annoying, especially when.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
You want to change the lanes without indicating right that
it told you there. So anyway, I've got to I
don't know whether they didn't put the E tag back
on because they said for two days, don't put any
pressure against the windscreen. Yes, because the glue is not dry,
and you can be out in the rain, but you
don't get your car washed. But that's why I keep

(03:44):
missing the tolls. I go through like about four or
five tolls to get to work. I know you do
each way. Do you get the the redate? Yes, it is, thankfully. Yeah,
that's actually saved.

Speaker 4 (03:59):
That helped.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
But it's a quick drive, quicker than would be that.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
We're in tear on the rims. No, you can't do that.
You've got to balance it out, don't you. Yes, wear
in tear on the car and the petrol and all
that sort of stuff, as opposed to the Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
We can talk another time about how much I dislike
cars doing everything now, Yeah, yeah, because that really does
yeah annoy me. Well, all those buttons are on, I
turn them all off.

Speaker 4 (04:24):
I don't even know what my buttons do.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
I actually have never told because you didn't have actually
control on.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
No, I don't actually know what. I have never figured
it out. I just know I can turn it on. Yes,
and in my phone hooks the car connects and.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
You know your indicator, and that's it. Sometimes you still
hit the window wipers.

Speaker 4 (04:45):
I've got out of that now because now I'm one car.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
Yeah, yeah, shall we get into the question?

Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah? Please? Weigle Talk Talk Talk, Weigle Talk.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's near Wiggle.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
Authorized by Simon Locky.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
Hello, Simon and Locke. My name is Skyler. I am
a mum to Violet, a very enthusiastic two year old,
and I have to say Locke's biggest fan, Hello Violet.
Violet owns a purple nightcap a night gown, calls herself
Locky about ninety percent of the time, and we have
to wake up Lockee on repeat basically all day long.
My question, My husband travels frequently for work, which means

(05:21):
I spend a lot of time solo parenting. Those stretches
can be wonderful, but they can also be really hard,
especially when Violet is completely falling apart and I am
the only one there to hold it all together. I'm
curious how Simon Lockey and your partners handle those moments
when you're the only parent in the room and your
toddler is mid meltdown. What do you actually do? And
for the times when your wife or partner is flying

(05:43):
solo at home while you're on tour, how do you
support each other across the distance? I'd love any honest
being there advice from one parent to another. Thank you,
Skyler and Violet.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, this is a tricky one, you know, we do,
particularly you Locky, but we spend a lot of time
away from home. I think as the parent who does
go away more, I do have quite a bit of
guilt about the fact that a lot of it is
left up to laws to do the parenting and feeling
like a a solo parent, and it's a really really

(06:19):
difficult thing to manage and a really hard balance. It's
hard to get that balance right because also we have
done where we can assure and laws come away, but
then now as he's older, that's breaking up routine. It
actually makes things sometimes even trickier, that adjustment back and forth.
But really the only way we've managed to make it

(06:41):
work as well as I feel like we have is
honest and open communication about what is going on day
to day and how we are both feeling about it.
And it's always much harder for the person staying at home,
even without kids. It's always much harder because when you're
off working, you're engaged, you're doing different things, and it's
a whole different ballgame.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
But it's also a.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
Good reminder for both parents that the partner away is
struggling being away as well. It's not just for us anyway.
I'm not there going well, I'm off and it's up
to you just to deal with everything back at home.
It's still very much a joint effort in trying to
make it work, even if there is distance.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, absolutely, yes, scyl that I think it's it is
so tricky't I spend a lot of time away and
last week done it wouldn't mind me saying that she
had an absolute Barry Crocker and she was saying like that,
but she did, she was she has some really good

(07:43):
weeks and then last week was just so hard and
all I could do and I was aware of it,
was just have that phone call where I listen and
she really appreciated at the end and she says thank
you for listening, and I'm sorry and never has to
say sorry. But it's just sometimes it is trickier than others.
So you're absolutely not alone, Skylar. That happens to every

(08:03):
single parent who is. You're doing an amazing job at
home while your partner is away, and sometimes all you
the partner can do is is really check in and listen,
and I try and break it up by saying something
silly to the girls, which sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, but
it is. It is so tricky. But and then you
know the next week will be completely different and you'll

(08:24):
have a better week. But I think the kids too
take it without understanding Violets, like my girls take it
out on the one at home because they are missing
the one that's away. So there's little things you can
I leave for the girls, which kind of helps on
the day I leave, but then it doesn't last long,
depending on how long I'm away. But there are little

(08:44):
tricks to keep connected with your kids. But yeah, it's
tricky on Violet too, and that's probably some of that
is probably a you know, it's an energy thing too.
I think I think that's what happened for Danna last week,
was she just got when the kids only have the
one energy in one parent, you just kind of hit
heads a bit and hit energies and it's just needs

(09:05):
a break up. And that's what you know when I
go home for weekends and I know that I'm a
break and that energy and done, it can have a
break and the energy just shifts in the house. And
that's I think that's really important.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, and I think it's important that the person who's
home doesn't want solutions, No, it just really wants to
be listened to and understood, and just listen, I think
is the most important thing. And so you really do
need to have that open line of communication that you
can be honest with each other about how you're feeling.
And that's a really good place to start, I think.
And then you know, thankfully, technology does help. Technology helps

(09:38):
a lot these days. You can be more present because
of technology and phone calls and video calls and all
that sort of thing can really help. Just to have
some engagement and locke you write notes and things, you
leave notes.

Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, I do notes for the kids every time I
go away. It always ends up being eleven o'clock at
night on the kitchen bench drawing and coloring in. But
something I don't ever want to miss sometimes done is
like just you need to get sleep and because you're
up at four o'clock for the flight. But I'm like,
I just got to do this, and it does that.

Speaker 4 (10:07):
They love it.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
They love it in the mornings and it if I
think that helps connect us for the time away a
little bit and we can talk about it during the
week and they color it in and so that's definitely helped.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
But Captain feather Sword, Patty Paul, he's a big meal
prep person. That's what he's always done for his family.
He's always prepping meals and freezing meals. So his wife
and the kids, that's one lesson they have to think of.
That's what he does a lot of. And I know
Yoto cards. You can record your own stories, can't you. Yes,

(10:39):
you can on the Yoto cards, and so you can
read a book or a story, make up your own story,
and play it to your children when you're away that
and that's a great thing.

Speaker 3 (10:47):
Yeah, that's awesome. And it just takes a voice memo
on your phone and you can then link it up
and send it to that that you can buy blank cards.
I mean you can also just send voice memos if
you don't have it. Oh yeah, that's a Yoto but yeah,
you can actually playing cards come with the Yoto so
then you can upload your own story. So I think
one of the cards has got about six of the
ridiculous stories I've done funny versions of three Little Pigs.

Speaker 4 (11:11):
Oh well, they're four of them.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
Well, just Lulu and Lottie play big characters in it.

Speaker 4 (11:16):
And they love their pigs, aren't they.

Speaker 3 (11:18):
Oh they do move it particularly they.

Speaker 4 (11:19):
Love their pigs. Yep. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
I mean, look, it never gets easy, but I think
you find ways of making it work. And you know,
I think it's important though, to keep trying to find
new ways of continually making it work and not to
just get settled in a particular routine of doing because
sometimes it's nice to kind of keep thinking and looking

(11:43):
at new ways to do things, to try to keep
that connection as much as possible, and to understand from
my perspective, being the one mainly who goes away always
present in mind of what Lauren at home is going
through in managing the day today.

Speaker 4 (11:59):
And you do.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Letters, Patty does meals, you do stories and absolute nothing
you do, absolutely do no do we make it work?
But it's tricky, it is.

Speaker 3 (12:14):
But thank you Skyler for that that message and a
big hello to Violet. I hope that helped a little bit,
and thank you for listening to Dear Wiggles. If you've
got another question for us, we'd love to read it
and try answer it, but you can send it to
podcasts at the Wiggles dot com dot.

Speaker 2 (12:30):
Are you and if you've been enjoying the show, make
sure you're following or subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Now,
before the show, before we did the podcast, it was
cold in here, and now I'm schitzing.

Speaker 3 (12:44):
Someone's pressed the button outside.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
You got it, jack it on, you got your hat on? Yes,
steaming up.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
Thank you for listening to wiggle Talk. It is a
podcast for Barrett.

Speaker 4 (12:56):
Yeah, it's a hot pot.