Parenthood, for us, is one of life’s greatest privileges. We have been blessed with two wonderful children. Being a parent is many things, but most of all, it’s a huge responsibility. With so many worrying things happening in our world right now, it makes me anxious to think about the world that our children are growing up in, and what it will look like in another twenty years’ time.
This is partly why Kenny and I made the choice to stay on the Chathams and raise our children here, at least while they are young. Our remote island, just a wee spot in the ocean, feels a little like a safe haven from the outside world. It is certainly a different environment to the mainland.
During my first week here I was blown away by the children at the local school where I teach. Not one spent their morning break inside the classroom stuck to a device. They spent their time chasing each other with stick guns, playing in the “wilderness” – an area of trees, flax and vines at the back of the school, and stalking wekas in the school field. Most of the students at the three-classroom school are related, and they are all fiercely protective of each other. Feet bare and Stoney Creek jackets on, these kids were wild.
In this place there are few less rules, very few worries and that allows the kids to just care about being kids. They are young, wild and free in a way that reminds me a bit of my own childhood. When you witness this, it becomes clear why the Chatham Islands has, on many occasions, been described as a step back in time.
Kenny and I talked a lot while I was pregnant about the type of up-bringing we wanted our children to have and where the best place to bring them up might be. We decided the Chatham’s was absolutely where we wanted to be.
Our free weekends are spent on missions out to the back country on motorbikes with the kids, hunting, gathering, or just exploring. We spend time at the beach and river almost every week as well, and we go on bush walks every other day. We dive and fish off the rocks and both our kids eat absolutely everything that comes off the land. Everyone here knows our wee family and the community is here for us. On the Chathams, we all have each other’s backs.
Of course, we miss our family on the mainland. They are watching our children grow from afar, but that makes our time visiting them even more special. It also makes a great excuse to get off-island and give the kids some of the experiences they miss out on here – like swimming lessons, visits to skate parks and, of course, a trip to McDonalds.
One day, we know, we are going to have to make some difficult decisions. As life changes and the children grow older, we will have to consider other a different set of needs – those of adolescents and teenagers. I want the kids to be able to follow their interests and passions and be able to access opportunities to explore and grow as they mature into young adults. As there are only two primary schools here on the Chathams, almost all teenagers head-off island to attend boarding schools for their secondary education, and naturally we are considering that for our kids. It’s an exciting and challenging time I wouldn’t want them to miss out on.
You will have learnt reading my column over the last few months that life on the Chathams is not for the faint hearted. It can be bloody brutal, but it is also beautiful. Undoubtedly though, this island life provides the perfect environment to create unforgettable family memories and teach our children important life and survival skills. Our children may end up choosing very different life paths from us, but it is our hope that when they grow up, they will look back on these early years and the experiences we have created together on this island and know that they have been blessed.
This story appeared in our February Social Club newsletter.
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