02 May 2022
I hope you enjoyed some time off over the last few weeks with family and friends. With the return of NSW schools this week parents are no doubt back into the swing of things and the working at home with kids scenario has eased somewhat!
Fittingly, our Casual Catch Up last week focused on the Parents in Landscape Architecture Network. Thank you to all who attended and to our guest speakers. The Catch Up was an insightful and frank conversation about parenting in our profession; the many different forms parenting takes, the pressures, the daily balancing act and the imbalance in gender equity this unfolds into as a woman’s career progresses.
One comment that resonated with me and something I do practice in my own business is ‘parenting loudly’. Voicing yourself when you leave to pick up the kids, announce to your colleagues when you are stepping outside during your break to watch your children’s school assembly on Zoom and letting it be known you have not slept for a week because of the various wonderful child related reasons!
In the same vein, talking about your child’s successes, proudly showing off photos or videos…again…or even bringing your children along to an AILA outdoor tour or suitable work meeting is another way to parent loudly. I have taken my children to many a meeting and will continue to do so because this is what 2022 looks like in our profession.
Our next Casual Catch Up will focus on the shelved Design and Place SEPP. I would like to hear from you, the membership, with your thoughts, comments and suggested directions from here via email [email protected] Please keep you eye out for the date.
Our AILA NSW Awards reveal is Thursday 5th May 4pm-5pm online. If you haven’t already registered, please do so here. I look forward to seeing many of you online this Thursday evening for this exciting event.
Tanya Wood
AILA NSW President