Kia ora koutou

Hope this email finds you well and not too wet from all the rain that the Hawkes Bay/Tairāwhiti region is suddenly receiving. There has been a definite shift to Autumn, and it is starting to become noticeable in the changing colours of the leaves across the Bay.

Consequently, I have been pondering on ‘change’ this week and having Sarah Naish (author of the Therapeutic Parenting book) speak to us recently about the necessary shift from traditional parenting to a more therapeutic style of parenting was good food for thought and fits nicely with the Caring Families Aotearoa approach. Working with children with different needs has challenged me to continually change and a Whakatauki that I think puts it in perspective for me is: “Tūngia te ururoa kia tupu whakaritorito te tutū o te harakeke” (set the overgrown bush alight and the new flax shoots will spring up) meaning – to change we may need to leave some ways behind, in order to do things differently.  The “Making Changes, Stability in Hard Times” online workshop has also been a good reinforcer of this. What small steps can we take to initiate change in our lives to ensure we are having a positive impact on those around us? I have enjoyed the online courses as they provide an opportunity to meet caregivers from around the country.