Life Admin Life Hacks

This episode will clarify the options you have to manage how you and your children use their screens.

There are all kinds of connected devices in our homes: tablets, smartphones, laptops, televisions, gaming consoles and more. Dinah and Mia give you some tools and tips to help keep your children safer online and also help provide screen time limits.

Mia and Dinah talk about resources like Common Sense Media that you can use to decide on which games and apps to download for your children. They also discuss how as your children get older it is more important to make sure you have enabled the parental controls on all the devices they access.

They discuss tips relating to:

• Setting up individual profiles for your children and using family sharing settings for Apple and Google
• Using Screentime in Apple devices (iOS 9 and above)
• Using Content & Privacy Restrictions in older Apple devices
• Using parental controls for your PC and gaming consoles
• Setting up profiles for Netflix and other streaming accounts
• Password protection and staying one step ahead of your digital native children.

They also discuss some options for improving security at the router level including upgrading your router or adding additional gadgets to control all the devices connected to your home internet connection.

Dinah’s daughter had cooked dinner based on the family meal planner without being asked

Mia is currently applying for a new role at work and she is able to use the CV she had prepared by an outsourcer earlier this year

Dinah talks about channel confusion caused when groups of friends move between various communication channels like email, WhatsApp and text messages.

10% Happier Podcast Episode on Digital Minimalism When - The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink

Australian Parents Council - Recommended Screentime Raising Children - digital safety and screen time strategies eSafety - Office of the e-safety commissioners Common Sense Media - Aged Based Media Reviews Guide to Screentime functionality for Apple Devices Parental controls for older Apple devices that don't support Screen Time Circle - Screen time management and parental control device that controls wifi access and displays usage history

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In this ep, Mia and Dinah talk to an expert about the life admin side of investing - it's a great way to build your wealth but also comes with paperwork and passwords. While anyone of working age has investments through their superannuation, in the last two years there’s been a surge of first-time share investors.

About Sophie Dicker

Sophie Dicker is an M&A consultant by day and the co-host of You're in Good Company (YIGC), a podcast that aims to make investing accessible to anyone, by night. Although working in finance, she had no idea about investing until her partner encouraged her to start. Her investing goal is to build the freedom to do things that she's passionate about - whether it be starting a business, donating to causes close to her, or taking time out of the workforce to start a family. The ultimate goal of YIGC is to build a community of like-minded people right alongside.

In this episode we talk about:

• the challenges of getting into the property market in Australia and other factors leading to an influx of younger investors in the share market
• developing an investment strategy and the importance of understanding your money type and risk tolerance
• why you might want to engage a financial adviser and how to find one
• where to find information from experts to guide you on your investment journey
• micro-investing: investing small amounts regularly through apps like Spaceship and Raiz
• ETFs: a bundle of shares that provide exposure to a range of companies listed on the stock market, allowing you to diversify your investments more easily
• finding an online trading platform that works for you and testing out the apps
• managing the paperwork that comes with investing by adopting a folder structure to keep all the paperwork for purchases and dividends
• the importance of your HIN on CHESS statements and making sure you keep these in a secure place like your password manager
• managing your account and password with the share registry
• the process of setting up an online share trading account
• the benefits of developing a consistent investment routine
• setting up investment goals (short, medium and long term)
• considering auto investing - a regular direct debit into an ETF
• using your Hours of Power to do the initial research and education into investing so that ongoing investing can become a Ten Minute Timekiller task in the long run.

• YIGC podcast
• YIGC Instagram
• YIGC Investing Podcast Discussion Group on Facebook
• Invest Like The Best podcast
• How I build this with Guy Raz - podcast
• Livewire Markets
• Spaceship app
• Raiz app
• Stockspot

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This episode gives you top hacks for maximising the value of your pay TV and streaming services.

There are more than 36 streaming platforms in Australia including Crunchyroll (Japanese anime and manga), GuideDoc (documentaries), Mubi (cult classics), Shudder (horror), CGood positive life-affirming), Acorn (mystery, drama and thrillers). If you like a particular genre see if there is a cheaper, dedicated streaming service rather than using a mainstream platform.

Mia and Dinah talk about what you should know about streaming services including:

• The three types of streaming services:subscription services (like Netflix, Stan, Binge)
  rent/buy services (like Google Play or iTunes)
  catch-up (free-to-air services) .
  

Their hacks for finding shows and films that suit your taste and mood are:

• Have reference lists on your phone and add to them when others make recommendations or you read reviews
• Have separate reference lists for different types of viewing rather than one long mixed list (e.g. educational shows to watch with the kids, date night films)
• Use a service like Just Watch or Google Watch List to find things available on the streaming platforms you have
• Create separate streaming platform profiles for different types of watching, based on moods, themes or audiences (eg family viewing, documentaries, guilty pleasures, international cinema) so that the streaming algorithm suggests up the same type of content
• Browse the full catalogues of streaming services (eg Netflix Catalogue) to discover content in specific genres (e.g. American 80s comedies, Belgian mysteries), rather than the standard category options.

They talk about the options to view streaming services including:

• Using a harware device (like Chromecast) to stream from your phone, tablet or computer
• Using a media streamer or a hub (like Fetch or Telstra TV) – some of these also allow recording of free-to-air TV
• Using a game console (like Xbox or Playstation)
• Smart tvs.

They also talk about how to decide what streaming services you should subscribe to by:

• Making sure free trials don’t become lurking subscriptions by unsubscribing straight away or adding a reminder in your to-do list
• Consulting your reference list to see which services have more of the things you want to watch
• Reviewing the free to air streaming services to see if there is enough content available for free
• Consider unsubscribing from all services and then adding back as you need.

LIFE ADMIN RESOURCES

• Services to help decide what to watch Just Watch and Google Watch List
• Netflix Catalogue

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This episode will help you understand why you may need to help others with their life admin and some of the legal and practical considerations you need to consider if you take on that role.

We consider some of the things you need to think about when you need to help someone else with their life admin, including:

• what the signs are or the events that may happen that trigger your need to assist someone with their life admin
• the types of life admin you may need to help with
• how to avoid family conflict and maintain family harmony.

Mia interviews Stephanie Rendell, a lawyer who works in elder care planning and talks about:

• what life admin you can do informally and when you need to put formal documents like Powers of Attorney in place
• things to consider when appointing a third-party financial administrator
• considerations for reimbursement and remuneration in Power of Attorney activities
• record keeping obligations if you take on someone’s Power of Attorney
• services that Elder Care Lawyers can provide including Substitute decision-makers, Caring agreements, Advanced Care Directives, Wills and Elder Care abuse.

Mia and Dinah talk about some of the practical things you can do to make it easier to manage and share the work of taking on someone else’s life admin including:

• Establishing a shared digital calendar for medical and other appointments
• Establishing a shared email address for bills and statements, to create transparency among family members
• Establishing shared password management systems
• Establishing shared To Do Lists to allocate and track tasks
• Setting up roster systems and
• Scheduling monthly teleconferences to discuss the situation and share the activities.

• Dinah talks about securing her favourite shopping list and meal planners to restore order to her fridge.
• Mia talks about how easy it was to nominate the days she wanted to take as purchased annual leave by using her shared calendar and the relief of having all the childcare over the school holidays for the year sorted.

• Dinah talks about how she has still failed to manage to establish a system for the digital photos from a recent long trip.

Podcast - The One You Feed

Stephanie Rendell, Associate - Head Of Wills And Estates, RNG Lawyers

Episode 1 - Shared Calendars

Episode 2 - Going paperless

Episode 3 - Managing passwords and form filling data

Episode 4 - Mastering To Do Lists

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This episode explores why transitions can be stressful, the key tools and processes you need to have humming to support daycare and school admin, and Mia and Dinah's top hacks for saving time, money and sharing the load.

Mia and Dinah reveal that in a survey they conducted earlier this year, one in three respondents reported that their child starting at daycare or school generated a significant amount of life admin.

Mia discusses how transitions, particularly when starting at a new daycare or school, can be hard for both parents and kids because we are letting go of the familiar and need to adjust to new ways, people and routines. We are hard-wired to resist change and it can trigger a stress response. There can be a sense of loss of what was, wishing things could stay the same and perhaps some fear and anxiety about what’s to come. Transitions are also an opportunity to lean on our strengths, reach a new equilibrium and bring a sense of renewal and growth. We can let go of old beliefs and assumptions with excitement and enthusiasm.

Given the potential emotion of the transition to a new daycare or school, ensuring your life admin is sorted is a tangible way you can make the change easier and reduce the stress for everyone.

Dinah discusses the key foundational life admin systems to have in place to make the transition easier:

• Have one central dedicated shared document or checklist for you and your partner to store all the information, to-dos or discussion points with your partner and child. It's important to get all that detail out of your head to reduce your mental load.
• Set up a folder in your cloud storage to file all documents related to the daycare or school when you enrol, so that you can file as you go, making filing a Two Minutes Too Easy task
• Use a shared life admin email address so all school communication can go there, and agree on a system for sharing the management of this inbox with your partner.
• Ensure your password manager is installed across all your devices, so you can easily store the multiple passwords needed for school portals, uniform and book ordering etc.
• Add frequently used form filling data to your password manager once so you can speed up the process of the endless form-filling.
• Set up informal communication networks like a WhatsApp group with other parents.
• Plan any traditions that are important to you (eg photo on the first day) so that you don't forget and it is calm and intentional, rather than rushed and last minute.
• Consider the costs of a new school, such as fees, uniforms, books, technology, excursions and camps, so you can budget in advance and plan ahead if you prefer to buy second hand.

Mia talks about morning and evening routines, considering which things will change and what will stay the same. Some continuity is reassuring. You can preview what the new routine will look like by replicating the new schedule ahead of time as practice.

In terms of daycare transitions, particular life admin tasks to consider are:

• putting your child on the waiting list which may be more than one year in advance
• filling in enrolment forms including information about your child’s wellbeing such as sleeping patterns, emotional and social preferences, family circumstances and comfort items
• proof of immunisation status - download a PDF from MyGov and consult GP if need catch -up vaccinations
• procuring a second copy of your child’s comfort item in case it gets misplaced at daycare
• applying for child care benefits via Centrelink
• getting a Working with Children Check if you want to volunteer or spend time in the daycare
• dress cod