Parent Partnerships

Mothers Day Reflections by Michael Grose (Parenting Ideas)

Mother’s Day is a time of recognition, celebration and reflection. With this in mind, Michael Grose from Parenting Ideas asked his team members, who also happen to be mums, to share their thoughts about parenting and mothering.

Kate Johnson - Parenting and teaching children on the autism spectrum

How many children do you have? What are their genders and ages?

I have four amazing children. Three boys aged 12, 6 and 3 and a girl aged 8.

What do you love about parenting?

I love seeing my children grow into their personalities and being part of helping them find their spark. I love the simple things, whether it is girl-time doing the shopping or chats at night on the bed with the younger ones about their day. I love seeing them push through and achieve things that they thought they couldn’t. One thing I am big on is being present and being there, whether it is at their school event days or cheering them on where possible from the sidelines. And I am a big fan of a warm hug.

Sharon Witt - Resilience and parenting adolescents

How many children do you have? What are their genders and ages?

I have two children. A daughter, almost 18, and a son, aged 21.

Best piece of mothering advice you’ve received?

The best piece of parenting advice I have received is to not stress too much. We are all doing the very best we can on any given day with what we have. Sometimes, we will be exhausted and if all we can manage for dinner is scrambled eggs on toast, then that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up and certainly avoid the comparison trap. Don’t compare yourself to other parents and what they are doing. Remember, parenting is a full time gig, 24/7. Just do your best and make sure you look after yourself too.

Dr Jodi Richardson - Wellbeing and mental health

How many children do you have? What are their genders and ages?

I have two children: a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl.

Best piece of mothering advice you can give others?

One of the most important ideas to teach our kids is that it’s completely natural to feel a whole range of feelings, that all feelings are okay and that all feelings are normal. It’s important for them to know that while feeling happy is wonderful, no-one feels happy all the time. Teach them to notice and name their feelings, to tolerate the discomfort of difficult feelings, to express their feelings in healthy ways and that, although some feelings feel hard to bare, they always pass. All of these lessons are priceless.

Our facial expressions, tone of voice and words all contribute to the empathy we share with our kids and are central to validating how they’re feeling. Whether we agree with them or not, our validation shows them that we get it and that we know it’s hard. Validation is a first step to helping them feel understood and able to begin winding back their emotional responses.