Bec Sparrow, being. with Lael Stone | The Friends Who Hold You ♥︎

Friendship, Bec Sparrow says, is a bumper bar on your life. It doesn't stop the hard things from happening – it cushions the impact when they do.

Bec is one of Australia's most trusted voices on teen and tween life - author of seven books, co-host of ABC's Parental as Anything with Maggie Dent, co-founder of Birds of a Feather (Australia's largest online book club for women), and a woman who has spent more than twenty years studying the science and art of friendship. She is also, by her own admission, a deeply introverted person who has had to consciously learn every single skill she teaches.

We explore:

The sense of calling she has carried since her teenage years, and what it actually feels like to be doing the work you're here to doThe pilot light – what Bec says to every parent who is deep in the season of small children and losing themselvesWhy Bec models friendship differently now, including the concept of "deep casual hosting" and having people over even when your house is a mess.The power of apologising and owning your impact when friendships get messyWhy your kids need friends inside school AND outside school – and why having both matters so much when things go sidewaysJOT: Join One Thing – Bec's campaign to combat loneliness, and why she believes there are friendships waiting for all of us if we're willing to walk in the door[Recorded Online April 2026]

About Bec Sparrow:

Rebecca (Bec) Sparrow is one of Australia's most trusted voices on teen and tween life. She's the author of seven books spanning fiction and non-fiction, including the bestselling novel The Girl Most Likely and the teen guide Find Your Tribe. Her most recent book, Out of the Box: A one-stop guide to navigating neurodivergence, was co-authored with journalist Madonna King and published by UQP in 2024. She co-hosts the ABC podcast Parental as Anything: Teens with Maggie Dent, and co-founded Birds of a Feather Book Club - billed as Australia's largest online book club for women - with Jane Sullivan.

Connect with Bec:

Website: rebeccasparrow.com – including a free friendship resources offer: if you're struggling and can't afford her paid resources, email hello@rebeccasparrow.com and mention this podcast. She will send you what you need.Instagram: @rebeccasparrow72Facebook: Rebecca Sparrow WriterBook club: birdsofafeather.com.auBook: Out of the Box (UQP, 2024) with Madonna KingPodcast: Parental as Anything: Teens (ABC)

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Connect with Humans, being:

Web: humansbeing.auInstagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being. is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.