We've (almost!) made it. The longest year on record is coming to a close. However you spend the holidays I so hope you can enjoy a break of some sort.
It has been a(nother) super tough year for families. Between homeschooling, border closures and lockdowns, parents and children have been dealing with heightened anxiety, financial stress, health scares, very little space and so much uncertainty. If you're feeling shattered, you're not alone. If your children are shattered or having a rough time, they're not alone. It's all been a lot.
So please be gentle on yourselves. We don't get report cards to sum up our efforts as parents but almost every parent I know rarely (if ever) awards themselves highly. Myself included. We need to change that. We're parents - not superheroes. We get tired. We get impatient. We get frustrated. And that is all ok.
Our kids don't need us to be perfect. They need to feel loved and safe - and seeing their parents making mistakes is part of that. Normalising mistakes - and especially being willing to own and repair them - is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. Because making mistakes is human.
Being a good enough parent is more than enough! What is absolutely not good enough, however, is expecting parents and carers to be able to raise thriving children without support.
Right now that's what families in Australia are expected to do and working to change that remains our main focus.
We've had a fantastically-impactful year at The Parenthood. We've published agenda-setting research, we've grown our team and membership base, we've attracted thousands of signatures on petitions, we've secured media for parents, we've met stacks of politicians, journalists and leaders, we've assembled parent volunteers and together we've helped to put early education reform and paid parental leave on the national agenda.
None of that would be possible without your support so THANK YOU! Our shared commitment to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent is a force to be reckoned with. And given 2022 is an election year we have a HUGE opportunity to demand a better deal for children and parents.
Some of our volunteers created a funny short-clip for our new campaign #ParentsUp which you can watch here LINK.
Have a wonderful break, rest up and I look forward to working with you all in the new year!
Georgie Dent
Executive Director
