Mareeba Mum Strengthens Family Connections Through VPG Every Family Program
Sarah, a mum of three in Mareeba, is strengthening her parenting toolkit to stay connected with her children. While working as an occupational therapist and raising a four-, two-, and one-year-old, she has turned to VPG’s Every Family program for practical support.
Since moving to Mareeba three years ago, Sarah and her family have been regulars at Every Family’s supported playgroup and have participated in its parenting workshops, including Mindful Parenting & The Child Brain and Responding to Behaviour. These sessions have given her both strategies and confidence to navigate the everyday challenges of parenting.
“As a parent, you always need to learn more,” Sarah says. “You never have enough tools in your toolkit – you’re always learning, things are always changing, and your children are constantly challenging you in new ways.”
Parenting three children at different stages requires flexible, evidence-based approaches. The Responding to Behaviour workshop gave Sarah exactly that. “We were seeing more meltdowns with our four-year-old, and we wanted safe ways to discipline while making sure she felt heard and understood, but also know we had boundaries to keep her safe.”
The results show at home. Sarah has introduced time warnings and logical consequences that set clear expectations while keeping connection intact. “It’s working with our two-year-old as well. They know, ‘Mum’s serious about that rule,’ but then we can come back afterwards and unpack what we can do next time.”
Every Family’s supported playgroup has also set a foundation for her children’s social skills and school readiness. When her eldest started kindy this year, the transition was seamless. “She was so excited to go – 100% her having gone to playgroup really helped. On the first day she was just like, ‘Okay Mum, see you later, bye!’”
For Sarah, access to programs like this is vital for regional families. “Living in a rural area, kids don’t have the same access to services as in cities. Having these parenting programs means parents are more informed about child development and can pick up early if something isn’t quite right.”
She is a strong advocate for parenting education. “The first 2000 days are the most critical in a child’s development. When you build a parent’s capacity, they’re with that child every day – they can put strategies into practice straight away.”
Looking ahead, Sarah and her husband plan to join the Circle of Security program delivered by Every Family. “We try to be intentional in how we parent and look at how we address challenges or foster strengths in our children. These programs give us the tools to be the best parents we can be.”
