Dr Billy and the Showcase

Monday 17th is a big day for our school. We will be showcasing what our school is about for our community. It is important families get to see what we are working towards.

We also have a guest speaker who I believe has become one of the most important voices in Australia. Many will think that’s an overstatement, our staff probably tire of me mentioning him, but I’ll explain why I think he is so important. Here is my pitch for you to come!

Being a child is harder than when I was. The uncertainty of the future with technology, the distractions that technology bring, and the connectedness of technology, which is great in some parts, also has downsides with bullying and image related issues.

Now, I also think technology is great! It makes so many things easier, however, we need to take steps to control how we use it.

Now if being a child is harder than ever, but it still is a great time, I believe that parenting is really hard, though I don’t know what it was like before, so I’ll save comparisons. I’m sure it’s always been really hard. The costs associated with living mean that we need to work more than ever. This creates pressures on our time, whilst trying to ensure we are connected with our children who live in this technological world and are creating a new language. It is hard. It is also the great joy of life! Two things opposed can be true at the same time.

I have been fortunate to hear many experts around childhood, and many come across with two messages:

Everything is bad
You are not doing it right

Therefore we avoid these conversations and don’t act on their messages because we feel lectured.

Dr. Billy is the opposite of this. The first time I heard Billy was on the Imperfects podcast, He spoke of:

Getting kicked out of school in Frankston.
Growing up with a single mum.
Writing guidelines on settled babies for Royal Children’s Hospital, and not being able to settle his own baby at their first night of being at home.

Billy wears t shirts and jeans and provides a fortnightly podcast that provides advice and evidence based insights about childhood and parenting, through famous movies.

His book is written in simple language and he speaks of both the challenge and joy of parenting. It is a different approach. He wants to share the challenges, show you are not alone, and hopes you can enjoy being a parent.

Billy is focusing on getting out to schools as he has a three year wait list, yet, he spends most days giving parents very similar messages. He advocates for parents to be reaffirmed, yet reflect on what they are trying to work on.

You will not hear a special fix through Billy’s discussion, but you will make a connection with someone who then provides free advice on just about every topic for children and parenting when you need it next. I promise you’ll get a couple of gold messages as well that may really help.

This week, I had to use Billy’s advice in his podcast to help my son, who has really struggled transitioning to his sessional kinder. Though he likes it when there, drop off has been bad. So we listened to Billy’s podcast about anxiety, and school refusal, implemented a change and it worked like magic. The reality is it is not magic, there is science behind all of it.

But don’t take just my word for it. Last year his podcast was named by Apple as one of the most loved podcasts they stream. The download numbers are huge, reviews glowing and he is now the go to person for many mainstream media platforms. He features on a new documentary about to be released that covers the challenges of parenting.

Hamish Blake (from Hamish and Andy) uses Billy on his podcast How other dads dad, as his expert, and wrote the foreword in Billy’s book:

‘There is no instruction manual to parenting, but this book is about as good as it gets’.

If I have one wish this year, it is that each family can be represented on the 17th of March to see our students, but also meet Dr Billy Garvey. If you have a friend who you think could benefit, feel free to bring them along too.

If you have a question for Billy, please come and see me over the next two weeks and we can ask it, deidentifying you to protect your privacy.

Census Numbers

Our student numbers are up to 112. This is an increase of 18 on the same time last year, which we are proud about. However, this is a privilege that you entrust your kids to us, and our job is to provide great academic outcomes, with children who are supported fully in their social and emotional development.

Working Bee Thanks

We were so grateful for all the help at the working bee. It is that community feel that we are aiming to provide at the school. The school community is often the main point beyond the family home, and the research is clear about the benefits of children and families existing within an extended community. Thanks to Glenis for her work in organising the event.

Lent

Lent is a special time of prayer for Catholics. It is about reflection, self reflection about how we are going in our lives. Whilst it is asked of Catholics at this time, it is a great invitation for all. We can ask:

What is going well?

Is there someone I need to reconnect with?

Is there something I could do for someone else?

These questions intentionally focus on the other. It is widely recognised, that when we think beyond ourselves, we can actually increase our own wellbeing. So selfishly, it is a really good thing to do. However, it is also critical we take time for ourselves. So, a question to ponder is:

What do I need?

Who can I ask for support?

As Catholics, we believe that God is always listening to these questions through prayer.

Right now, we particularly pray for Pope Francis, our Pope who has reinvigorated what true servant leadership and humility looks like. We also pray for those in Queensland as they brace for the uncertainty and possible damage of the Cyclone. Sometimes, the mental anxiety and uncertainty is just as damaging as the actual event. Our prayers are with them.

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