JACQUIE WARD
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Tell us a little about you…
My name is Jacquie and in addition to being a Mama to two gorgeous boys and one little babe on her way, I am an ABA/ Play Therapist and Aide for children with additional needs. I am also completing my studies in Psychology, working my way towards a long-held dream to become a Clinical Psychologist. When I’m not studying, making Dinosaur lands with the boys or drinking coffee, you’ll find me over at The Brave Space, an online site Irun with my Sister that is dedicated to building resilience in little ones.
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Tell us a little about your family…
As mentioned, I’m a grateful Mama to 2.5 and wife to my long-time partner, Dave (we’ve been together since we were seventeen). Our little fam lives by the beach in southern Sydney, with our two dogs, Audrey & Duke and our Bearded Dragon, Buddy-Love, who Santa
kindly gifted the boys last Christmas.
www.thebravespace.com.au
@the.brave.space hello@thebravespace.com.au
THE BRAVE SPACE
What is one parenting belief you held ‘pre babies’ that you now look back on and chuckle about…
Oh, so many! This is actually a really fun game that my husband and I often get a giggle from, to look back and reflect on the things we believed about parenting before we became parents. If I had to pick just one, it would probably be the deeply held belief I had that my children would be beautifully calm, sleeping in a perfectly established, smooth routine that I would set up for them from their newborn days and gently guide them into with my own eternally-peaceful vibe. Ha! It’s hilarious now that I could’ve been so naïve to the HUGE influence of babies being actual little human beings, each with their own unique demands, quirks, likes and rapidly changing developmental trajectory that essentially means nothing is routine (for long, at least) and instead, is forever evolving. Throw in a reflux baby whose personal mission was to never sleep in a position other than upright, on my chest and let me assure you, I really learnt my lesson about preconceived ideas & kids ;)
What has been your most significant area of change/ growth, since becoming a parent….
Becoming a mother has been the most significant journey of growth I have ever experienced. Motherhood has stretched my heart in ways both beautiful and challenging and ultimately led me to discover the person I was meant to become. Sometimes I look back at the ‘me’ pre- babies and I barely recognise her.
What are you and your child doing… when you feel most at ease with yourself and most
connected with your child…
When we are playing outside together. We have fun at home together too, but too often I find myself to pulled to ‘other things’ (washing, meal prepping, answering emails…). When we head to the beach together, I am literally there to just be with them and the result is that I feel most at ease with myself and most deeply connected to them. It’s the best chance we’ve got of getting lost in the moment together. I recognise this about myself though and so try to schedule time ‘out’ (at the beach, or a park) on our days off together so that we always clock some connection time.
