Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

She thought parenting would be homemade cookies, flouncy dresses, and humming while folding laundry… but instead, she’s throwing plastic cups at walls. In this hilarious, vulnerable, and unexpectedly heartwarming episode, Justin speaks with Victoria Vanstone—author, podcast host, and recovering party girl—about what happens when the perfect mum you imagined never actually shows up. From shouting matches and laptop guilt to near-death experiences and camping hacks, this conversation explores the wild reality of parenting and why just turning up—imperfectly—is more than enough. KEY POINTS Victoria’s journey from party girl to mum (and how giving up drinking gave her back her life) The power of writing to reflect on and process parenting Why self-awareness trumps perfection every time Near-death moments and learning to live with risk as a parent The guilt of being too attached to work—and what she did to fix it Why camping within 5 km of home (and sneaking home t