10 reasons to go camping with your kids

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It's disruptive - bad patterns from home don't come along. Whinging happens less. Working together happens more. We parents used fun and silliness more to get stuff done and kids listen more where there's actually a real need to follow instructions (hold my hand or you might fall off this cliff, don't go too close to the kangaroo or it might hurt you with its huge claws). Small domestic tasks become fascinating. Making up beds in a tent. Washing dishes in a camp kitchen or bucket. Finding … [Read more...]

Family adventure – Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary

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Due to our important Sunday commitment (The Teddy Bears Picnic at Ripponlea Estate), we swapped our weekly adventure to Saturday and made it close by to Lou's music lesson. We went to Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary and had a great time, apart from Belle that is who seemed freaked out by the whole thing following a close encounter with a fish. A sure sign we need to take her to the pool less and the beach more! The Sanctuary is located in Port Phillip Bay 20 kilometres south east of the … [Read more...]

Family adventure – Newport Lakes

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On Saturday we went and explored Newport Lakes for a few hours as part of our plan for our family to have a weekly 'family adventure day'. This is where we get out in nature and move and explore as a family. Newport Lakes is a bushland area created from a former blustone quarry and rubbish tip site in the middle of Newport. The park is 33 hectares in size. The lakes area of the park has been extensively revegetated using native plants, with over 200 species of plants and 85 species of … [Read more...]

It’s nice to be (and leave the car at) home

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We just got home after three weeks in Newcastle and the Central Coast. It was a super long drive there, plus driving constantly while we were there was necessary as there wasn't much in walking distance of the places we stayed and very little in the way of public transport. First day back in Melbourne and we head, on foot of course, to the market. Lou rides her new scooter happily. We got great coffee from Market Lane, organic and local fruit and veg, and some organic meat. On the way out we … [Read more...]

Trade-offs

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Anne-Marie Slaughter famously challenged the myth that women can have it all in the context of demanding careers and being a mother.  Her thesis was pretty simple: that, in the current way that society and professional work was set up, many women (including herself) can't find the right work-life balance.  Professional success comes at the expense of family life in most cases.  In our family, this applies to David and I equally - we are both making decisions that support … [Read more...]