With three kids aged 9, 7 and 5, it seems every second weekend we are traipsing off to another birthday party and singing happy birthday to a child we hardly know. It makes me wonder if there is any value in going to these parties and seemingly wasting a weekend day on celebrating yet another… Continue Reading
This quote is very topical in Australia at the moment with the recent release of the NAPLAN (The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) results for all children in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9. The test ranks the student individually into a band 1 to 6 for four different Maths and English competencies… Continue Reading
Last week a father shot dead his wife and three young children. This is shocking enough for anyone to handle but in rural Australia where everyone knows everyone and there is a sense of community, this is even more shocking. I grew up in a small town about an hour from Lockhart in NSW’s Riverina… Continue Reading
How to really love a child. A lot of these things are pretty obvious here in this quote but sometimes I need a reminder that children are just that – little children. The whole idea should be to have fun with them. My premise at the moment is to say YES as often as I… Continue Reading
I had lunch last week with a couple of people I work with. None of them have kids and I sometimes feel like I am a voyeur in their lives of freedom. Their worlds are in complete juxtaposition to mine and yet, that is how my life was 9 years ago (pre kids). How quickly… Continue Reading
I love this quote – it is all about taking risks. Our job as a parent is to continually encourage our kids to be the best they can be. We are their safety blanket for getting out into the world and our words of encouragement often make or break the situation. Not words that put… Continue Reading