I would love to assure you that it’s the same weariness we are all experiencing after 2 and a-half years of this damn pandemic, the gift that just keeps on giving.
And I’d love to tell you it’s just because I am juggling the busiest time of year work wise with the demands of the children and their respective end of year engagements.
But the truth is, last month, a final parenting order was signed off for us after 28 months in the Family Court and I need to talk about it.
I will not go into the details of our particular case, for obvious reasons, but I can speak to my general experience and tell you that this is a system that is broken in all the ways.
While the final outcome is absolutely in the best interests of the children, the journey to get there was far from it.
Nobody wins. There is only unfathomable loss to everyone involved.
Bewildering decisions, massive assumptions, wild inconsistencies in standards and expectations, stalling and extensive delays — all based on a one-size-fits-all framework that well and truly does not fit all and is emotionally and financially devastating.
Thankfully, we have an incredible support network and it is now over. We can look ahead to 2023 with a renewed sense of stability.
And hopefully soon, I’ll stop needing naps and crying every time I talk about it. But we are the lucky ones there.
For Christmas, I wish I could forget everything I have learned about this system and how it fails our young people and their caregivers.
I wish I could undo the stress and trauma my children have been through. And I wish I could wave a magic wand for those still going through it.
These holidays, can I ask you to spare a thought for the families who are fractured and hurting?
