So the new school year is upon us! My husband and I are well and truly finished our parental schooling duties, but my goddaughter starts Kindergarten soon and is so excited! Her and her twin brother wore their new uniforms for a week!

It’s hard to believe that twelve years later they will be embarking on their final year - the best school year, in my opinion. One where you become a “team” with your peers and teachers. It’s challenging, no doubt, but still a pretty great balance between work, study and friends in those final school years. A bigger question is, how to survive as the parent of a child finishing school, and all the craziness that comes with it? When you sent your son or daughter off for Schoolies - QLD, Bali, a cruise, Byron Bay - last year, were you constantly checking your phone for updates? Watching the news expecting to see their faces in the middle of a brawl? We’ve all been there!

Let’s not forget the parents who endure the final year, supporting in every way, with good food, quiet study space, and lots of encouragement. We all hope for the best outcome for our young adults. For some it is supporting them to just finish the school year, others it’s to achieve the result the student is striving for.

Exams are stressful for all involved, sure, it seems to be only the rowdy teenagers who get to celebrate when it’s all over. Why not treat you and your fellow parents-of-teens to a nice getaway, a dinner party in or a movie night?

Girls Getaways have a group of mums who are taking time out on a weekend in March to connect with other Year 12 mums at their school. Over the weekend away, it will be a chance to discuss and align with other mums and relax after the start of the new year - when the young adults in question have embarked on the next stage of their journey. Whether that’s work, uni or travel. Bonds will be formed, along with a like-minded support network for the next stage of parenting. Because things sure do change!

If you’ve got nothing planned, it might be an option for you to organise a trip with friends at the end of the year, or perhaps mid-year when things are a bit quieter? Check out the By the Bay package for your own Moolies group.