One thought from me: The late psychologist Dr Christopher Peterson was famous for his short summary of the study of psychology. He claimed you could explain the scientific research about human flourishing in just three words. His words were: 'Other people matter.' I think, with a little adjustment, a similar short summary can explain a child's early development, 'Our first relationships matter.' And, when you look at what we know more broadly about parenting even older children, it looks very...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
One thought from me: Last week, this 1-2-3 email was about how we never have enough time to do all the things we think are important. Out time is limited. This week we're asking, how do we live once we recognise that our time here is finite? How do we step into this limited life? Here are three things I think help: 1. Spend less time doing what doesn't matter. Facebook scrolling, Netflix scrolling, online store scrolling—how many minutes of scrolling become hours in each of our precious...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
One thought from me: Perhaps it’s a bit late to be writing an email about New Year goal setting. But it's taken me most of January to write my goals out and I'm curious to know—do you reflect on your goals from last year, before you set new ones for the next? Do you take time to look back and take stock of what you achieved and what was left undone? For me, looking back is not a practice I’ve ever spent much time doing. I like the excitement and sense of possibility goal setting brings. But I...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read
One thought from me: Last week we were lucky enough to visit New South Wales to see our family there who, because of the pandemic and travel restrictions, we've been separated from for most of the last two years. On a walk, one afternoon, while we were there, I noticed my three-year-old niece looking closely at us. I suspect that she was curious as to how we had suddenly appeared again as real people after being images on a screen for so long. 'Have I ever been to your house?' she said to my...
over 2 years ago • 2 min read
One thought from me: As we head into a new school year, the public health messaging around COVID-19 is changing. This year, we are told, schools will stay open and we are unlikely to go into lockdown again. In a way, now, the responsibility to slow the spread of the virus is on us, rather than on our leaders. So, what can we do? Well, on the ABC news broadcast last night, the NSW Transport Minister, David Elliot, urged families who could, to walk to school rather than take a bus. The World...
over 2 years ago • 2 min read
One thought from me: On a grey afternoon last week, I took my two-year-old daughter to the park for a play. The park we chose was a very ordinary suburban playground next to a primary school. But when we arrived there, we were surprised at how beautiful it was. Because, above the play equipment, the Eucalyptus trees were in flower. We picked some of the branches within reach and the beauty of those pink blooms and the smell of the deep green leaves, stayed with us for days. It was a simple...
over 2 years ago • 2 min read
One thought from me: Today marks three weeks since a terrible tragedy took the lives of six children, and left three others injured at a primary school in the town where I live. In the weeks since then it has often felt like I have been parenting through a fog. I cannot imagine what the fog has been like for others in our community. For the children, parents, staff and first responders, for the people who were there on this awful day, for others whose lives will be forever altered by it. But...
almost 3 years ago • 3 min read
One thought from me: When I first started taking my kids outside more intentionally, something interesting happened. All of a sudden I started to see ordinary moments—the kids playing with autumn leaves after church, a clear morning at the beach, dinner on a picnic rug under the stars—for the extraordinary moments they were. I started to notice opportunities for connecting with my children in the natural world all around me. It was as if my eyes were open to something I hadn't realised was...
almost 3 years ago • 2 min read
One thought from me: I wrote the first draft for this email on a notepad in bed this morning, my two-year-old cuddled into me, who was trying to snatch a few extra minutes of sleep. I could see the sky out of the bedroom window, clear and blue. It's presence reminding me to get up and get some washing on, because as always, I had a mountain to do. Next to my bed were my running tights, socks and shoes, neatly laid out for exercise, I'd been putting off. In the lounge room, I could hear my...
almost 3 years ago • 2 min read