In Praise of Parents

Being a parent is a source of our deepest joys and greatest consternations. It can be a thankless task. Our best efforts can go unnoticed, or worse, can be derided and dismissed by the very people we set out to help.

Some parents do the work of parenting flying solo, some in partnership, others in blended families. Some parents do the work without extended family or intergenerational support, others live in the midst of rich family life, with grandparents, aunts and uncles on tap.

I want to thank you all, parents, for the work you are doing in raising your children. We count it a privilege to be involved with you and your families in the education of your children.

At NBCS we recognise that parents are the most important people in shaping their children’s character and development. The first and biggest influence in children’s lives is the home – parents, siblings and extended family – along with the network of friendships and relationships in which each family is enmeshed. As a school, we augment and add to this.

Our aim is to support parents in the development of their children. Our job is made possible by the wonderful work that parents do. Leaving aside our heavenly father, there is no perfect parent. I hope that this is a relief to us all as parents. None of us can or will get it right all the time. Instead, we need to focus on doing the best we can with the resources we have.

Getting the right balance between being firm (demanding) and warm (responsive) is the key. This combination helps us let our children know that we care for them, and that they can relax because we are the ones who set the boundaries, and over time, revisit them as they grow in maturity and responsibility.

We live in a world that has become, in many ways, harder and harder to navigate. There are often fewer children in our families and in our friendship networks than in the generations before. As parents, our sample size of children is now smaller, making it harder to set and calibrate our expectations.

And yet I want to say to parents, well done. You are making a difference. You are doing the hard work. You are laying the groundwork for the years to come, the foundation for lives full of purpose and meaning. We do our best, based on what we know, hoping to learn and grow as parents as our kids grow.

Thank you to those who can make it to assemblies and carnivals, and to those who can’t. Thank you to those who are able to be involved in school activities and those who do the drop off and pick up at school, training, co-curricular and various other activities. Thanks for your willingness to work with staff as they work to bring out the best in your child/children in their learning and education. We know that parental involvement necessarily looks different across different families and different ages and stages of family life.

We see a student body who understand and seek to live out our school values of gratitude, respect, courage, compassion and commitment. This is a testament to how they are being raised and to our desire and ability to support the work that parents are doing.

Parenting is hard but rewarding work. It is sprinkled with moments of pure delight alongside times of frustration and heartache. We know that as parents, you long for what is best for your children and for their upbringing. We remain grateful for the joy and privilege of playing our part in working with you in this monumental and wonderful role. In a world that is quick to tell us when we are getting it wrong, congratulations one and all, on all the ways that you are getting it right.

Tim Watson
Principal