Getting candid with Candice We chat to Candice Warner

GETTING CANDID WITH CANDICE

Life in 2020 was pretty crazy for most. Lockdowns, home schooling, a stint on SAS Australia perhaps? All in a day’s work for popular media personality Candice Warner! Did you catch her on your TV screen? We chatted to the mum of three to find out how she and her husband cricketing star David Warner juggled it all, and how she made sure her girls’ learning thrived throughout 2020 when she was both home and away.

So, Candice we’re all about mums and their kids at MamaMag! Tell us a bit about your girls.

So, Ivy is six – she’s going into Year 1 this year, Indi is five and about to start kindy, and Isla is just 18 months old. My oldest two share the competitive nature of myself and David and they’re already cricket fans! They’re great kids who like to bat balls with him in the backyard.

How did you manage juggling home schooling with one at day care, one in school and a toddler on the side?

It was challenging but I had to make it work. Particularly Ivy who’d started kindy and was learning to read and write – I tried to give her as much attention as I could. However, a few years ago she and Indi started doing an app called ABC Reading Eggs so that made my job as mum and make-shift teacher easier. It gave me peace of mind that she was doing something educational whilst having fun.

So, what were some of the benefits you’ve found from the girls using the app?

So, as it teaches reading skills such as phonics through animated games and songs, they love it when they finish a game and a character called Sam the Ant comes on. They’ll sing along with him and like the reward of extra games It gives them a sense of accomplishment and that’s exciting for them.

Were you concerned about their educational development missing time in the classroom?

As it was Ivy’s first time going to school, I was slightly apprehensive as to what the year would bring. However, once we got into a routine it was fine. I’d organise the day like I imagined school would be run. In the morning we’d do something educational such as the app and reading books, then a craft. After lunch we’d do sporty stuff. In fact, because Ivy really engaged with the ABC Reading Eggs app during this time, once classrooms resumed, she went back with increased confidence in reading. So it increased her love of school.

When do you think you’ll get little Isla into ABC Reading Eggs?

Probably in six months’ time when she’s two. She sees her sisters having fun with it and is already curious as to what they’re doing. By then I’ll be able to spend quality time with her to teach her how to use it.

In August you left your family for two weeks to go on SAS Australia - surely the most physically and mentally taxing reality show we’ve ever seen on our screens! What were your initial thoughts about getting involved?

Right from the start I wanted to take part. They showed me episodes of SAS UK so I knew it was going to be incredibly arduous. But as a former Ironwoman I wanted to physically challenge

myself and show my kids what you can achieve with hard work and honesty. However, I wondered how we’d cope as a family with me being away. I’d never spent more than one night away from my girls. But due to COVID, it actually worked out well. Ordinarily David would have been on a cricket tour, but he was able to spend 11 of my days away at home with the girls. After that my mum stepped in. Knowing the girls would have one parent around made my decision easier.

What was the hardest part of SAS Australia besides missing your family?

Just the toll on your body. It was brutal, even worse than it looked like on the show. There wasn’t much eating involved – thin porridge for breakfast, a scoop of soup for lunch and some lentils and chicken at night. I went from 60kg to 55kg in just 12 days. Physically the hike in the snow, where I had to pull a sled behind me that weighed as much as me, was very tough. We’d shiver all day and that takes up a lot of energy. You could never switch off and relax when burning so many calories. At night they’d turn the lights off at 10pm but often they’d have us up again to do something else. You never knew what was coming. Mentally the hardest thing was the vehicle rides. It’d take an hour and a half to get to some locations. You’d be in the van shivering in wet clothes with all this time to think. I’d start missing my family and questioning what I was doing. I had to remind myself the reasons for being there. Just talking about this is starting to give me flashbacks! However ultimately it was awesome.

How did the girls manage while you were away?

They were good although they missed me. When they video called and asked when I was coming home and said they were proud of me it made me really emotional. David was great – it was his first time being on his own with the girls for so long. He’s very hands on when he’s here so he was really good with their routines. However, he did say to me afterwards, “Wow it really is a lot of work doing this every day!”

And finally, what’s your favourite part of being a mother?

I love how they think you’re their world. They run to you after day care or school with such joy. Plus I love seeing my girls achieve things, such as walking for the first time, smiling, reading a book from start to finish. It’s incredibly rewarding. Visit ABC Reading Eggs to sign up for a free 30-day trial. readingeggs.com.au