To the single mother with young children who is hanging on by a thread…who for so long had no reprieve and whose previous routine and social networks are more important than she realised. Just a little longer… To the father who lost his job months ago…who was proud of his ability to provide for his family and doesn’t know who he is anymore. Depression has hit him hard. Just a little longer… To the woman who is stuck with her abuser 24/7…who now has to live with the threat of violence and a heightened level of fear every minute of every day. Just a little longer… To the grandmother in her aged ..read more

On Saturday Daniel Andrews announced a complete lockdown of nine public housing high-rise flats.  Residents are not allowed to leave for any reason. When I first heard the news I was worried about the practical implications of this extreme lockdown, I was concerned about things that I hadn’t heard addressed through government statements or media – things that if not addressed would be horrible for residents.  Since then a lot of information has come to light and it’s worse than I had feared. It doesn’t matter what you think about the lockdown. Was it justified? Was it necessary? Argu ..read more

On Monday George Floyd lay on the ground with the knee of a police officer pressed down upon his neck. In pain and fearing for his life, he states “I can’t breathe”. Moments later he lay motionless. Not long after he is pronounced dead. Although George Floyd was clearly the ultimate victim of this horrendous crime, the issue goes far beyond this one incident. It even goes beyond the problem of black men dying at the hands of police. This atrocity and numerous others like it are not just crimes against individuals. They are crimes against every black man, woman and child in the US. Because it’s ..read more

On the first official day of remote learning in Victoria I thought I’d share some tips and things that I have learnt over the past few years homeschooling. 1) Remote learning is not the same for everybody. For some, it is a learning pack with little support from school. For some, it is online classes that follow a timetable and the biggest change is that class is conducted online. There are also many variations in between. It is important not to compare yourself to others during this time. Different schools have different demands on parents. Also, as parents, we have different circumstances, d ..read more

While we sit at home during these uncertain times and reflect on how quickly our lives have changed, I hope that we also take a moment to consider those who also face uncertainty, but uncertainty of a different kind. While we spend our uncertainty at home, trying to work out how to educate and entertain the kids, others spend their uncertainty in their homes, trying to work out how to distract their kids from the bombs that rain down upon them. While we are forced to make decisions such as whether or not we should be relaxing our screen time restrictions, others are forced to make heart-wrench ..read more

The other day I was with my children at a local park.  It was a beautiful day and the park was unusually busy, the sound of children’s squeals and laughter could be heard all around.  It was then that I noticed the most adorable toddler nearby.  This toddler stood out as he had a balloon tied around his wrist and it was clear by the look on his face that he was absolutely delighted by it.  As he picked up his pace and the balloon flew through the air his toddler waddle became increasingly unstable.  And then the inevitable happened – he fell flat on his face. Before he ..read more

When my oldest was five I overheard him utter some profound words. “Be what you want to be in your life,” he said. I was so proud. Through these words, he demonstrated an understanding of things that were way beyond his years. I was pleased because this suggested a realisation that to be happy and successful in this world you needed to be true to yourself. I hoped that understanding this concept from such a young age would make it easier for him to resist the pressures that he would undoubtedly face throughout his life. I then turned inwards and reflected on my own life. Had I succeeded in thi ..read more

The ideas of white supremacists are not new. The belief that whites are superior to others has existed since time immemorial.  What is new, however, is the prevailing climate we have today. An idea, like a seed, in order to grow, must be nurtured.  Then, and only then, will the holders of this idea be so brazen as to act on it.  Whether it’s in the attack of Muslim women on the streets or the callous slaughter of worshippers as their pray, it all begins with a tiny seed. So how did we get here? How was this white Australian radicalised? What induced him to become a brutal terror ..read more

My first attempt at toilet training was an absolute nightmare.  As a relatively new parent, I took everything I read a little too seriously and I was keen to wait for the perfect time to avoid the dreaded regression.  Going through all that hard work, succeeding, and then ending up where you first began was something that I wanted to avoid at all cost.  So I waited for the perfect time. The problem was that the perfect time took a long time in presenting itself.  We were looking for a new rental to move into and for some reason it was taking an unusually long time.  I ..read more

KonMari and decluttering in general seems to be the latest fad.  Fueled by the current show on Netflix people are lining up to throw out their possessions.  There something oddly liberating about getting rid of things, perhaps only matched by the joy of purchasing them in the first place.  When we release this clutter, along with them we release years of frustration.  The frustration of not being able to find objects,  seemingly forever lost in a sea of clutter. The frustration of not knowing where and how to store excess goods, moving them in desperation from one ..read more