About Me.

I was born and raised in New Zealand, and now live in the stunning coastal area of Port Macquarie - where the beaches are beautiful, the wildlife is bold, and the teenagers are... well, teenagers. I'm a proud mum of two of them, plus one overachieving Border Collie x Kelpie and two guinea pigs who think they’re in charge.

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I have a love for education and have taught everywhere from high school and primary school to TAFE, both in Australia and overseas. If there was a school bell ringing somewhere, I was probably there. I’ve also done the rounds as a Joey Scout leader and served on OOSH and P&C committees - because apparently, I don't know how to say no.

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When my son started Year 7, a well-meaning relative gifted him an iPad - despite my very clear, “Please don’t do this” warning. But hey, it was family tradition. I knew screens weren’t ideal for kids, but I hadn’t quite grasped the extent of the tiny, glowing monster we were welcoming into our home.

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At first, it was all fine - until the classic phrase kicked in: “Just five more minutes, Mum - I’m nearly at the next level.” And so it began. More minutes. More levels. More attitude. I chalked it up to teenage hormones... until one day, he yelled at me when I asked him to get off the thing for the umpteenth time. It was abrupt, scary, and I had a moment of, Wait a second - did I just lose an argument to an iPad?

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I tried everything: stashing away the device (he had the instincts of a truffle pig), offering a $300 LEGO set as a trade (he scoffed), even hiding it in my car to avoid the daily standoff. But since it was a 'gift', I felt like I couldn’t just take it away.

Enter: ScreenStrong. Suddenly, I had language, tools, and permission to do what I already knew deep down - I could say no. I could take it back. I could bring my son back from the screen abyss.

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Now I’m passionate about helping other families do the same – by offering simple, practical tools to unplug and reconnect at home.

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