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Sapling MINDS

My Story



I spent most of my youth moving around Australia with my family. This offered many benefits, but it also had its challenges. Changing schools every year from kindergarten to grade seven taught me many life lessons – though as a young child I may not have realised it at the time. One of the key things I learnt during my youth was how it takes more than resilience to be truly happy in life – this is where I learnt the value of authenticity, self-trust, growth mindset, creativity, problem-solving, and living in aligned flow with my genius zone.


As I faced new school cultures, different teaching approaches, and changing friendship groups each year, I learnt the significant value of resilience and authenticity. Changing schools can be difficult for any child, and I was no different. Each year I would find an amazing group of friends, love the teachers I was learning from, and would settle into a new school culture really well, only to have that all cease and need to be re-built the following year.


By embracing my interests and resisting conforming to external pressures, I developed genuine connections with my peers and cultivated self-confidence. There were many deep friendships I developed that stayed with me as I moved to different states around Australia. My parents supported me through my journey by encouraging me to explore interests and find hobbies that ignited my passions. Through these interests I developed further friendships with people still in my life today.


Adding to the change in my world during my youth, towards the end of my primary schooling years, my parents divorced. This created an entirely new family dynamic and change to my daily life routine, not to mention yet another move to be closer to family support structures. My primary caregiver became my mother who was unable to provide the emotional scaffolding children require. Having navigated my own childhood without this guidance, I knew firsthand how much more difficult this was. The challenges of this developmental period when support isn’t available are far more pronounced than they need to be, and I wanted to change that pathway for other kids.


Becoming a stepparent myself later in life, I have had the privilege of being part of the lives of two wonderful boys. Some of the things I had learnt as a child living with divorced parents have become teachings that I’ve shared with my stepsons. I watched and supported my stepsons navigate the delicate bridge between childhood and adolescence. During this pivotal phase of their development, I observed their unique needs as they were neither child nor a teenager, but something in between.


Seeing how little support is available for both children and parents during this stage of child development was surprising and heartbreaking. There’s a wealth of support available during early childhood and again when they reach adolescence, but none for this middle childhood stage – both parents and children are left to work it out themselves.


The journey I witnessed with my stepsons was not unique, it was something I also noticed were struggles being faced by my friend's children. Anxiety, self-doubt, and societal pressures threatened to overshadow their potential as both the child and their parents were unsupported about how to navigate. I believe these missing fundamental learnings are why anxiety and depression are increasing at alarming rates in children. I couldn’t stand idly by; empathy fuelled my determination.


In starting my business, I envisioned a world where every child thrived, and where seeds of resilience and purpose were sown early. I had a deep desire to have a real positive impact on the world and fulfill my life's calling. This is what inspired me to start working as a Child Development Coach and write my Amazon #1 best-selling ebook “From Seed to Sapling; How to Transform the Landscape of Your Child’s Lifestyle”.


My book provides support for parents and caregivers who hold a child’s future in their hands. I poured my heart into each chapter, offering research insights and practical support. All with the desire to help other parents navigate this journey with some extra tools in their toolbelt.


As a Child Development Coach, I work directly with primary school-aged children (middle childhood) and their parents to support cultivating these fundamental learnings and transforming the landscape of the child’s lifestyle and wellbeing.


There are three fundamental pillars that we need to bring back to parenting approaches to significantly improve a child’s life. The three pillars are resilience, authenticity, and entrepreneurial spirit.


Resilience is about supporting children to develop the capacity and skills so that they can remain in balance in all facets of their life. Authenticity is children having the ability to recognise, honour, and trust their feelings (both good and bad), and then act in a way that is consistent with their values. Entrepreneurial spirit is about a child’s innate creativity, self-motivation, drive to chase their dreams, willingness to take risks, and resilience in the face of failure.


As children engage in activities that align with their true interests and passions, they become more confident in expressing who they are and what they believe in. Developing independence is supportive for fostering creativity, self-motivation, willingness to take risks, and innovative thinking by empowering children to explore, experiment, and express themselves freely, both individually and collaboratively.


Children will look for parental guidance to learn how to approach new experiences and potential failure, how to regulate their own emotions, and how to tackle challenges in life. With parental support, children will feel better equipped to navigate increasing societal expectations and their own internal beliefs and patterns whilst maintaining their authenticity.


By bringing back fundamental parenting approaches, and developing these essential pillars with children early, it will significantly improve their self-efficacy, their ability to navigate challenges throughout life, and their deep knowing, love, and acceptance of who they are and how they can authentically show up in the world.


Every parent has the opportunity to provide the guidance and support their child needs to develop the skills and mindset they require to thrive in an ever-evolving world.


My life experiences have made me who I am today. I wouldn't change them for anything! Without them I wouldn't have developed the deep resiliency to be able to bounce back in the face of adversity, the ability to show up authentically through the value of self-trust, and the entrepreneurial spirit to have the successes I’ve experienced in sporting interests, hobbies, and within my career.


If you're ready to cultivate these learnings in your child, click on the link below to book a free discovery call so that we can discuss your little sapling.



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