Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east:
We both live 2 minute drive away from eachother in Kingsford. We have both grown up in Sydneys east.
How many children:
Kirsty has two kiddies, and Lana has one.
Favourite Park:
Queens Park playground, Oberon st Playground, Bondi beach Playground, Coogee Beach Playground (on Beach st)
Favourite Beach:
Coogee is our fave beach. It just has a lovely family atmosphere, fabulous park for the kids and great place for swimming in summer, and kid friendly cafes. Malabar beach is also amazing in summer with super easy parking and access to the water, a fabulous park, toilet facilities and little café on the corner.
Favourite kid friendly cafe:
Bitton in Alexandria and Two Tales Café in Alexandria Park. Both have great food and facilities for kiddies.
Favourite Coffee Spot:
Barzura in Coogee, BakeBar on Frenchmans Rd Randwick. The Clovelly Hotel where we run our Mama Nurture groups also do great coffees! (And food).
Favourite date night place:
At home with Netflix! A movie at the Randwick Ritz is an old fave, and The Spot has some fabulous new places for a drink or dessert afterwards like Bat Country for a wine or Kurtosh for a yummy home made cake and chai!
Sugarcane in Coogee has amazing Asian food and atmosphere and is also a fab date night place.
Favourite Local Day Out Activity:
The Entertainment Quarter is fabulous, with a playground, markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and fabulous activities in school holidays.
They usually have a petting zoo there which is a beautiful way for the kids to get close to nature, and visiting the horses at the stables nearby.
Favourite Local Shop:
Pharmasave Chemist (ground level opp Kmart in Eastgardens)is always a pleasure to visit. The staff are amazing, so friendly they make you feel like family and are lovely with the kiddies. They have a midwife who works there daily to give much needed expert advice.
We also love Coco’s Wealth of Health in Maroubra Junction, and Dr Earth in Bondi Junction.
Favourite wet weather location:
NUBO in Alexandria is amazing for kids and parents alike! As is Skyzone next door.
Describe an ideal day in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for you?
An ideal day in Sydneys east would be out for breakfast with the family, then meet up with friends at a favourite local park or beach, home for a lovely arvo rest and then some at home to re-group before dinner.
What area of the east have you yet to explore much but would like to?
There’s a rainforest walk in Alison Rd Randwick/Coogee that I’ve always wanted to check out but never have! It looks incredible and a piece of heaven in the middle of the suburbs!
Work or SAHM:
Both! In our lives before kids we thought we had it all together – we were independent, career focused, high achieving, spontaneous, super social and in control. We were like…”we’ve got this”
During our pregnancies, we were inundated with loads of advice from friends and family – everyone had their two cents to offer. But we both felt like few people gave us an honest, raw ‘heads up’ about all that needed to be considered, prepared for, and embraced after childbirth.
The combination of sleep deprivation, hormonal fluctuation, and loneliness on top of the huge responsibilities of caring for a newborn left us feeling overwhelmed and isolated. We desperately felt the need for a “village” to learn from, lean on and laugh with.
Our little bundles of joy brought us “poop-losions, and “spew-namis”, litres of dribble, endless loads of dirty laundry and tons of tears (theirs and ours). They also brought us abundant love, unimaginable joy, laughter and wonder that is beyond comprehension. Children seem to break and then make us…teaching us the hardest lessons in letting go and embracing the unpredictable, whilst honing our multitasking skills, all on minimal sleep!
And so in 2016 we formed The Parents Village in our living rooms. The Parents Village offers workshops. counselling services and courses from prenatal and post natal to how to manage your career after having a baby. We also offer support to mums who have suffered birth trauma and have a regular Mama Nurture groups where mums can meet up with babies, hear guest speakers on Tuesday’s 11am-12:30pm at The Clovelly Hotel. Kirsty is a qualified psychologist and careers counsellor and Lana is qualified social worker, drama therapist and counsellor.
Motherly advice:
‘Homecoming’, a poem: by Linda Reuther
“And the Great Mother said:
Come my child and give me all that you are.
I am not afraid of your strength and darkness, of your fear and pain.
Give me your tears. They will be my rushing rivers and roaring oceans.
Give me your rage. It will erupt into my molten volcanoes and rolling thunder.
Give me your tired spirit. I will lay it to rest in my soft meadows.
Give me your hopes and dreams. I will plant a field of sunflowers and arch rainbows in the sky.
You are not too much for me. My arms and heart welcome your true fullness.
There is room in my world for all of you, all that you are.
I will cradle you in the boughs of my ancient redwoods and the valleys of my gentle rolling hills.
My soft winds will sing you lullabies and soothe your burdened heart.
Release your deep pain.
You are not alone and you have never been alone.”
For more info on The Parents Village and their workshops and weekly catch ups go to www.theparentsvillage.com.au or follow them their Facebook for events https://www.facebook.com/theparentsvillagesydney/
