Mother’s Day was just over a week ago, that special time when children of all ages dedicate this day to do something special for their Mum, honouring the integral role that mothers play in families and in the wider society.

When my now adult children asked me what I would like for Mother’s Day this year, the answer was simple –I wanted to spend time with them.

Lengthy periods of lockdown and isolation over the last two years coupled with the fact that neither of my children live locally meant that I had not enjoyed the amount of quality time that I would have liked with them recently.

I know that I am not alone in saying that as a parent, there is nothing in my life that gives me greater joy than my children. As they have grown older I have found that I delight even more in spending time with my children and take just as much joy in their successes and achievements as I did when they were young. Likewise, I consider it both a blessing and a privilege to still be able to walk beside them during life’s challenges, encouraging them and championing them to be the best they can be.

As many parents would agree, as well as being the most rewarding role undertaken in life, parenthood is undoubtedly the most challenging. As I reflect back on the time when my kids were young I can see, that despite always having the best intentions, I definitely made my fair share of parenting mistakes. There were times when I was overprotective and held on too tightly, other times when I was perhaps too permissive and when they were in their teens, times when I felt totally inept to help them navigate the complexities of their relationship dilemmas.

With the benefit of hindsight and the wisdom that comes only through lived experience, I have recognised the absolute importance of humility and vulnerability in parenting. Instead of thinking that I needed to present to my children and others as being in control and having it all together, I recognise that there is so much value in having a genuine attitude of openness to learn and a willingness to grow in my role as a parent.

At times parenting can seem like a lonely journey and there were moments where I certainly felt like nobody could possibly understand my current situation and that I was unique in my struggles.

Taking up opportunities to connect with other parents for advice, support and guidance helped me to see that I was not alone, and hearing more often than not, my parenting peers were experiencing similiar challenges, served to fill me with a sense of relief and hope.

At Cedars we see ourselves not just as a school where students come to learn and grow. We are also a community where our staff and parents are just as committed to learning and growing. Cedars families acknowledge the importance of the partnership between the school and home, where we commit to work together to love and care for our students, supporting them to recognise, develop and use their God-given gifts and talents for the benefit of our community.

Our fortnightly Parent Connect Coffee Mornings which recommenced earlier this year is one way that parents can connect in an informal setting to share experiences and provide friendship and support to one another. As well as this, the Parent Connect representatives in each year group across the College facilitate activities outside of school hours with the purpose of developing supportive friendships amongst Cedars parents and carers in social setting.

To further support Cedars parents, this term we are excited to announce a new partnership with Dr Justin Coulson and Happy Families. You may know Justin as the co-host and parenting expert from Channel 9’s “Parental Guidance” and he is currently one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts.

Through our Parenting Ideas Membership all Cedars families will have free access to 4 webinars and 30 articles a year - by Justin and other renowned parenting and child development experts, as well as 10 videos with quick parenting tips.

This content is all centred around positive parenting and covers topics such as building resilience, managing anxiety, emotional intelligence, respectful relationships, mental health and wellbeing. Links to access all the webinars and articles will be sent to our parents soon and we hope you will take advantage of these wonderful resources.