WARRNAMBOOL College teachers Judy and Meg Lumsden and Taylor and Nicole Rock share much in common.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The mother-daughter educators have a passion for the classroom and an unconditional love of family.
In the lead-up to Mother’s Day, the quartet concede there is much they can learn from each other.
Mrs Lumsden said the role of a mother was a progressive one.
“You move from carer role predominantly to more of a friendship role,” she said.
“But they are still always your babies.”
Long-term teaching roles have given her an appreciation of family.
“In teaching you can come across families with no loving stability,” she said.
“It makes you appreciate what you have.
“If you have love in a family everything else is just icing on the cake.”
The hardship of motherhood comes when it’s time to let go.
“It’s hard to let them go and make their own mistakes,” Mrs Lumsden said.
“But your love has to be unconditional.”
For daughter Miss Lumsden, being raised by a mother with so much energy is exhausting.
“I admire her crazy ability to juggle different things in her life,” she said.
“As if teaching wasn’t demanding enough, she had five kids, does extra things like karate, zumba and drama and all with such energy and passion.”
Teaching pair Nicole and Taylor Rock have learnt much from one another.
“She has passed on her core values, her resilience and assertiveness,” Taylor Rock said.
“I’ve learnt from her how to say “that’s not OK” without sounding rude or aggressive.”
“I have also learnt love, comfort, nurturing and the love of food from my mum.”
Mother and well-being co-ordinator at Warrnambool College Nicole Rock said motherhood could be heartbreaking.
“Seeing your children fall apart in front of you is the worst thing about being a mother,” she said.
“Watching them make mistakes and knowing you can’t help them even though you know what they’re doing is the wrong thing.”