Have you ever wondered why
we do what we do? What is the point?
Will I achieve my dreams?
Am I where I thought I would be when I was 10 years old and knew I could be
anything?
I have had these
conversations with friends, and I think that as a mum this becomes particularly
hard as we give up everything to raise our little ones, and then when/if we do
go back to work it is not necessarily what we want to do, but rather a way to
make ends meet.
I have to say that yes, I
am where I would like to be, although of course I had no idea it would be this
much work. Of course things aren’t perfect. My plans didn’t include being
separated. Nor working these ridiculous hours. But looking back over the last
three years, I have learnt so much. Even looking further back, to teaching and
working with special needs families; everything has fallen into place to get me
to where I am now. Everything that has happened has happened for a reason; and
has and is preparing me for what the future holds. Even though things aren’t
perfect; I am exactly where I need to be, in order to do what I need to do
next.
I often get frustrated
that the business has taken this long to get to where it is now. But I can also
safely say that I have built a firm foundation for the business, with a hope to
sustain growth long term rather than fizzling out under the pressure of
immediate success.
Next week my two little
ones are at school full time for the first time ever. 2015 will be a turning
point for Little Wooden Toybox and I am finally ready to tell you my goals,
plans and dreams for the business.
So why do I do what I do?
What is the point of Little Wooden Toybox? Is it just the toys? Just about
educating families on the benefits of learning through play?
Yes and no. I am
definitely passionate about education, wooden toys and learning through play
and this will be a huge focus throughout the business. But to be honest there
is a whole lot more…
I see a bigger picture.
I see that I can create
something that will make a difference to families’ lives, not just in Perth but
Australia wide.
My dream is for Little
Wooden Toybox to fund community centres; to own them not just rent them and
move on when leases expire. Permanent structures designed for today’s families’
needs. With cafes, daily playgroups, sensory rooms and meeting rooms.
A place where families are
welcome. Where mums without support are welcome. Where special needs families
are understood and cared for. A place where a community of families come together,
not just to get what they can out of it but to give back too. A place where
people support each other.
A place where
breastfeeding is supported. Where mums with post natal depression are understood
and accepted. Where sleep issues are acknowledged and addressed. Where training
and education for mums/parents is provided for free and regularly. A place
where mums can get consistent, realistic and reliable advice.
Parenting is hard and
parenting in today’s society is even harder. There is a huge lack of support
for parents today where advice comes from left, right and centre with very
little support to help implement this well-meaning advice. We live in a world
of instant gratification and instant results and unfortunately our little ones
don’t respond this way, leaving parents confused, frustrated and feeling
inadequate and alone.
Young families need
support. And constant support, not just a piece of advice or a check-up every
couple of weeks or months.
It takes a village to raise a child and I want to
bring back the village. No small feat
I know. But it is needed I can and will work towards getting it started.
Another part of my ‘why’ is
to provide employment for young mums. Not just for financial independence but
for sanity reasons too. Most mums find themselves with a tiny new baby and no
manual. They go from full time work/study/whatever else that it is that you do
before getting knocked up, to all of a sudden having a little poopy screaming thing
that is completely dependent on you… it’s tough!
My biggest challenge as a
new mum was not looking after my little one but rather my sanity as I had lost
a sense of achievement at the end of the day. I would look around the house and
nothing looked ‘done’. Nothing was completed. No to-do lists were ticked off.
My babies were clean and fed and somewhat happy but my brain was turning to
moosh. Now I know not all mums are like this, but I know some of you will
understand and relate.
Other mums need the extra income
to make ends meet but find it near impossible to get a job that they can take
baby along to or that works around the family schedule.
In setting up Little
Wooden Toybox Party Plan, I want to provide mums with a sense of community,
support, financial independence and a sense of achievement at the end of the
day.
Knowing that most
consultants are and will be busy mums, I have set up a huge amount of training
resources and videos, materials, templates, scripts, ideas and challenges to
give mums the tools to succeed as consultants from the get go.
As Little Wooden Toybox
Party Plan grows, it will provide the funds to establish the very first
community centre within the next 5 years. I also look forward to partnering
with other groups and services to make this dream a reality. In particular
other businesses that are passionate about educating and supporting young
families and providing practical and desperately needed services.
And I don’t plan to stop
at one centre, but to launch more first in WA and then Australia wide.
But I’m not there yet and
I have a long way to go! Each day I chip away at the to-do list; the list of
things that gets me closer to my goals, grows my team and takes us one step
closer to making a small difference in the world.
To date, consultants have
joined our team for their own reasons and they too are reading my ‘why’ for the
first time. In future, I want mums to come on board to become a part of
something bigger. A way of contributing to a bigger picture while supporting
their own families too. To be a part of something that will impact our community
and our children’s futures.
We hear the comments all
the time “How did they turn out like that?” or “How can they parent like that?”
or “What are they thinking treating a child like that?”
What if they don’t know
any different? What if they are just living out the same cycle of treatment
they grew up with as a child? What if their life experiences have shown them
that this is all they are capable of? What hope do they have?
And our comments certainly
don’t change anything…
But I want to actually do something to change that world; to
break or at the very least disrupt the cycle of neglect, abuse, malnutrition, lack
of support and lack of education for both parents and their children.
I want to provide a place
that gives hope to parents and in turn their children.
This is my ‘why.’ My ‘behind
the scenes’ reasons that make me crazy enough to run my own business, work to
all hours of the night for very little profit to date while also being a single
mum of two special needs children… and I love every minute!
Come on the journey with
us!
Watch this space…
