Google is my best friend and my worst enemy. It's fabulous for research, but then it becomes addictive. I'll have a character eating an orange, and next thing I'm Googling types of oranges, I'm visiting chat rooms about oranges, I'm learning the history of the orange.

My husband does say it is Australia's job and my family's job to keep me grounded. They do a very good job!

So many people have said to me that when you become a school parent, it is like going back to school yourself. Some of those insecurities come out and are projected through your child.

Often, I think bullying - especially in its adult, verbal forms - is the sort of thing you don't realize till the end of the day, and it's a horrible feeling to realize something wasn't just a bland statement but was actually cruel. But then, we're all capable of things that are breathtakingly cruel.

Parents shouldn't assume children are made out of sugar candy and will break and collapse instantly.

If we want parents to be discerning about what children are watching then we need to put stuff in there for them to watch, too.

My son and daughter lost their father quite young, so we keep him present with us. It's just a daily practice.

After I got my law degree and business degree, I went to work for my family, and I spent two years at Hyatt doing a training program. I was really interested in real estate - one reason was that nobody in my family was doing that. I was looking for a place where I could be successful doing something that was my own.