September Spotlight-Emily Robinson
In the very first spotlight of “Motherhood Worldwide,” we would like to introduce you to Emily Robinson who currently lives in Australia with her husband and three children. Emily, her husband Chris, their three children Tom (12), Lottie (8), and Bella (6), and little dog Sasha currently live in a 30ft motorhome as they travel the country.
Background
Emily was born and raised in the UK on a small hobby farm with her parents and grandparents. When she was 18, she went backpacking around the world and met her now husband in Sydney, Australia. He joined her in the UK for 7 years where they had their son, Tom. Shortly after she suffered a miscarriage and was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her womb. After successful treatment, they decided to move back to Australia where they lived in a very small town in the Outback in Central Queensland, purchasing a 6.5 acre property. They had 2 daughters in Australia to complete their family and loved living the outback lifestyle. Emily started homeschooling once her oldest Tom had completed the first two years of school around 7 years old (second grade). After 9 years of living in the outback, Emily and her husband decided they were ready to move on, so they purchased a motorhome and decided to travel around Australia full time.
Outback Living
In the area they lived, there were about 800-1,000 people, and the nearest shops or anything like that were a half-hour drive away. There was a fuel station and a pub, but no grocery store - they had to drive over 55 kilometers for that! It might sound remote, but it's amazing how close-knit you become in these kinds of places.
“We built some incredible connections within the community.” Most folks living there were transient families, far away from their own relatives. The town itself was this fascinating mix of farming and mining families. Some families had been farming for generations on properties outside of town. Since many people in town worked in careers other than farming, they leaned on each other quite a bit.
“We had a really amazing swap or secondhand system because again you would have to travel 4.5hrs to get to the coast/big cities to purchase new furniture, or anything.” So, they'd often exchange things among themselves. There was always something to do for kids- every event was child-friendly because there weren't many childcare options. They became really close with some of the farming families and spent a lot of time together.
The area between where they lived and the next town was mostly farming land and bushland. They’d often join in on mustering, helping with cattle, or take part in branding. The crops were diverse too - sorghum, chickpea, wheat, sunflowers. In some ways it was like going back in time. It was that kind of place where everyone knew everybody else. When Tom was 6, he would hop on his bike with his friends and cycle to school down the road. Emily said it felt a bit like how she grew up in the UK 30 years ago.
Outdoor living in the bush was a big deal for Emily and her family. They had a boat for water skiing, went camping at the dams, and enjoyed all sorts of water sports. Outback living was remote, but the sense of community was incredible.
Home
Emily and her family now live in a 30ft motorhome with a 20ft car trailer on the back. “It’s a tiny space compared to our 6.5 acre property but we still have the same functional aspects-an oven, cooker, sink, shower, toilet, beds, storage for clothes, pantry, fridge/freezer, washing machine, etc.” The kids utilize the trailer to store their toys such as legos, board games, soft toys, arts and crafts, baby dolls, etc. They also have bikes and scooters, as well as their swimming, snorkeling, wetsuits, and life jackets for watersports.
Emily’s family enjoys being able to travel around Australia and see the country and believes they are still living a relatively normal life. “The obvious difference is the lack of space, and [we] only have a limited amount of our belongings, but other than that everything feels like it is pretty similar to living in a house!”
Work
Emily is an Intuitive Parenting mentor who supports families to tap into their intuitive superpower, raise consciousness, and escape the daily grind. She used to run a face-to-face clinic, but in 2020, he made the switch to going completely online, which works great with their on-the-go lifestyle. Emily’s husband, Chris, is an engineer and served in the Australian Navy for years. He is currently working for a drilling company at the coal mines in Central Queensland so he flies back and forth for work. “Out here a good proportion of families do “fifo (fly in/fly out), which is a common experience with a partner in the mines.” No matter where they are, when Chris has to catch a flight, they make sure to stay within an hour of a major airport. It's been a bit of a travel planning adjustment, but they always ensure they're close to an airport when needed.
Interesting Facts
Emily has traveled all over the world and has been to every continent except Antarctica. She grew up in Scouts, and even went on to help as an adult leader for 8 years running a local group when they had a house in Central Queensland. She has a passion for the outdoors and learning from nature, in community, as well as supporting kids growth and understanding.
Similarities/Differences in Culture
Emily believes there are many similarities between living in Australia and other western cultures. They tend to celebrate similar motherhood milestones, and generally parent as a family unit without extended family or community support versus her observing more Eastern cultures who may parent more as an extended community sharing responsibilities.
Some traditional customs related to motherhood in Australia include baby showers, christening/naming ceremonies, birthdays, first day of school, school achievements, mother’s day, etc. Emily says she tries to avoid a lot of these because she doesn’t particularly enjoy the commercial nature and conditioning of these celebrations. “My approach is to focus more on what we can celebrate everyday and become an observer of our feelings as we learn and grow together as a family and with like minded communities.”
Stereotypes/Misconceptions
In Australia, Emily says, “It’s pretty common that ‘mums’ should just have a baby and carry on with life regardless. It’s quite sad that there is a lack of support and true community for mums. Mums are judged if they go back to work too soon, if they don’t go back to work and stay home. They are judged if they don’t work and have their kids in daycare to enjoy some time to themselves. They are judged if they do work and then have time off and don’t do it all.”
Emily believes there is a real pressure on mums to perform,what they look like, how they show up, if they help at community events, etc. She believes the culture is full of judgment and pressure that often mums feel an overwhelming sense of guilt and failure.
Community Support
Emily doesn’t believe mothers are well supported in Australia. “It is just taken for granted that we will do it all and that is ‘normal.’” The mindset that women can just do it all without support is fairly common according to Emily.
Cross Cultural Experiences
“I love learning about new cultures and visiting different countries or areas. I feel like it brings more perspective to what can sometimes be a very closed narrative, but when we start to realize that something we are struggling with is actually normal and well practiced in another culture, it gives more permission to step outside well conditioned boxes.”
Advice to a New Mum
“Trust your own intuition as a mother, says Emily. “You know exactly what is the right next step for you and your family- no one else.”
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