Born prematurely and battling acute respiratory distress, five-year old Arthur’s early life was marked by constant medical care. With no family support, mum Rebecca felt scared, alone and isolated in the challenges she was facing with her new baby.
Arthur was chronically ill for an extended period following his birth, including oxygen therapy and during this time the family was away from family support. Rebecca discovered Play Matters close to where they lived and started attending three different playgroups.
“I was in the Play Matters space nearly every day. Arthur was sick and had a little oxygen tank and tube. Being around the Play Matters staff and facilitators was just so supportive and encouraging,” Rebecca said.
“My parenting journey really started at Play Matters, I always say to people it gave my family back to me; we weren’t a family in survival anymore, we started thriving together.”
When Arthur was two, Rebecca moved to Ipswich to be closer to family but was struggling to find a playgroup that felt like the warm and welcoming spaces she experienced in Arthur’s early life.
“I was scrolling through Facebook and discovered the new Play Matters hub had opened in Ipswich and I met the team who became like our extended family,” she said.
“I got the toddler bit OK and now the kindy age was upon me and I was like, ‘ah’ – another set of challenges and milestones. Arthur was also diagnosed during this time as neurodivergent, and I wasn’t prepared at all and found it a bit overwhelming.”
“Everyone at Play Matters honestly supported me and told me I could do this, I had the capacity to do this and so I was encouraged to do the HIPPY program because I have a background as an educator and I love to get behind a curriculum,” Rebecca shared.
The HIPPY program inspires a love of learning before children reach kindy age with a targeted Age 3 and Age 4 program. HIPPY empowers parents as a child’s first and most important teacher, providing tools and activities for mutual skill development and an early love of learning in preparation for kindy and school.
“The HIPPY tutor Kate worked with Arthur, my husband and I to allow us to be the experts of our child. Kate taught me to be an advocate for Arthur and to trust my parenting choices,” Rebecca shared.
Inspired by the benefits of the program and looking to get back into some part time work herself, Rebecca went from HIPPY parent to HIPPY tutor. She is dedicated to walking alongside parents to empower them to find their strengths and abilities in their parenting journey.
“I tried to do a classroom position coming back to work, but the juggle and lack of flexibility was just too hard. This position allows me to share my knowledge from being on the other side and build new skills whilst empowering other parents to do the same.”
“HIPPY is part preparation, part holistic program and part confidence building and I love getting to do that with my parents now.”
Reflecting on her time with Play Matters, Rebecca said it inspired her to embrace learning through play and fun.
Tutors are former HIPPY parents who are trained by a local coordinator. The tutors complete the program with their children first, before visiting families in their homes (or at the Hub) every fortnight for Age 3 or weekly for Age 4.
Play Matters Australia runs the HIPPY Program in Goodna, Gailes, Riverview, Collingwood Park, Bellbird Park, Redbank, Redbank Plains, Dinmore and Bundamba, Augustine Heights, Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Spring Mountain area.
If you are interested in joining the program for next year, and you are caring for a child that is turning three (birthdate between 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023), visit HIPPY | Play Matters
To find out more about HIPPY in other regions, visit Search nearby | HIPPY Australia