Empty Weekend Parenting & The Viral Rocking Chair Test

Empty Weekend Parenting & The Viral Rocking Chair Test

From Parenting Out Loud by Mamamia Podcasts

March 6, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the dilemma of procreation among young generations and explores the concept of 'Empty Parenting Weekends' while analyzing cultural shifts in Hollywood parenting.

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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Amelia Lester, Monique Bowley, Stacey Hicks, Ruth Devine, Tessa Kotowicz

Topics covered

  • parenting
  • Millennials
  • Gen Z
  • Rocking Chair Test
  • Empty Parenting Weekend
  • Hollywood parenting

Keywords

  • Merle Bombardieri
  • biological clock
  • therapy book
  • Matt Damon
  • Paul Mescal

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Survivor season 50, rugby preseason drills, Mummy Mondays

Books & works: Empty Weekend Parenting, Survivor, Parenting Out Loud, Australian Survivor

Places: Hollywood

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