This week, I sit down with the woman who started it all — my mum.The lady, the myth, the legend.

From raising four kids, working full time as a high school English teacher and volunteer for absolutely every sporting group,  surviving heartbreak, teaching generations of kids, and still managing to laugh her way through it — this is the raw, funny, wise story of a woman who just got on with it.

I share my mums story— being born out of wedlock in the 1950’s, being abandoned by her father in the womb, and being raised as if her grandparents were her parents so not to ‘ruffle feathers’ in society. 

We talk about the realities of motherhood before social media, before “self-care,” and before parenting manuals. What it means to raise resilient kids, build community, and stay grounded in the middle of chaos.This episode is full of stories, laughs, banter, and big-hearted wisdom for every generation.

✨ We Talk About

• My mum’s story — four kids, one wild life, and a whole lot of grit.

• Working hard, community volunteering, and the power of connection.

• Bald head and no lovers — her philosophy on independence and priorities.

• The art of getting up and getting on with it — resilience over self-pity.

• Teaching, saving lives, and how her classroom became a safe place for countless kids.

• Making herself watch Shawshank Redemption and navigating real danger (yes, bombs under Dad’s car).

• The biggest stresses and worries of motherhood then vs now.

• What’s gone wrong with gentle parenting and why our generation’s kids are different.

• What she loves most about being a Nanna — and what’s changed.

• Working through differences of opinion across generations with love and humour.

• The eldest daughter phenomenon — is it real, and what did she notice in me?

• The good traits we inherited. 

• Rapid fire: What she’s most proud of, hardest season she’s endured, and who’s the funniest sibling.

💡 Key Themes

• Resilience over perfectionism

• Faith, humour, and survival through hard times

• The difference between old-school parenting and the modern emotional era

• Community as the quiet backbone of motherhood

• The beauty of intergenerational dialogue — we need to hear from our mothers again

• “Get up and get on with it” — mum’s motto. 

📖 Reflection

“Every generation faces its own storms — but the women who came before us paved the road with courage, community, and laughter. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is just get up and keep going.”

For more on this, follow me on Instagram @petajean_ and @goodwomenshow , and on Substack www.likehoneycomb.com 

Soon, I’ll have a 100+ guide for reviving your honest voice. Follow along to get it. 

You can email the Good Women team at hello@goodwomenshow.com