I wonder how often we do what we do, without even pausing to acknowledge it, even to ourselves. Are we unintentionally making our mental load even more invisible? When we partner with others, sharing the load, they are often surprised and quite exhausted by what mothers do every day. We are not a failure feeling overwhelmed, anyone would be.

A strength is something you are not only good at, but you are energised by when you put it into action. If your top strength is kindness and you demonstrate kindness, it benefits others and you are also energised.  

Everyone possesses all of the 24 character strengths. Our top five strengths are known as core strengths, others are known as lesser strengths, rather than weaknesses. All the character strengths can be developed with practice. 

We at Illumiknight believe mothers are lighthouses—steady, illuminating presences standing tall in their wisdom. Just as a lighthouse casts its beam, mothers light the way for their families while navigating their own journey of transformation.

What are your values? What do you value? What are your shared values?

Have a conversation with your partner about what matters to you both. It might help to explore this question. What do we want our family to be like, sound like, feel like?

In the past emotions have been a women's domain, not rational, and therefore not of value. Thankfully it is broadly accepted now that we are all emotional beings. Every memory, thought, action and decision we make involves emotions. Recognising and acknowledging them helps us to understand, and regulate them.

How can you build positive emotion in your life. Can you think of ways to increase this list.

When we talk about separation, it implies going your separate ways—an ending. Yet separation from our child for school or kindergarten is just a matter of hours, though it can feel much longer when causing sadness or anxiety.

Parents are educators too; readiness is something we can support and nurture but can't be forced. Whenever we're faced with the thought of a transition, we can activate the FHO Framework: Familiarise, Humanise, and Organise. The better we become at embedding this framework the more we can manage and even normalise transitions, developing skills and experience.

At the heart of family wellbeing lies what I call the YOU framework - a perspective that recognises the vital importance of maternal wellbeing as the foundation from which everything else grows. This framework isn't about placing mothers above others in importance. Rather, it acknowledges that your wellbeing as a mother isn't an optional extra but an essential component of your family's harmony.

Adolescence is a complex transition, and it is unique to each child and family.  Society has a limited view on adolescence. It’s not all problematic, it is a time of positive growth and inspiration. For every media story or conversation you hear about what’s wrong with an adolescent, pause, and draw on what you know is good, true and right about this age and stage.      

In a world of increasing connectivity and distraction, presence is a challenge. The art of focused and directed attention is becoming harder and harder. The “always on context” is pervasive and our attention span is diminishing.  The good news is you can do something about it.

Family transitions drain our wellbeing budget throughout the day, requiring energy as we shift between roles, spaces and activities. Discover how consistent routines and simple breathing techniques can help replenish your family's energy reserves, turning challenging moments into opportunities for connection.