The Paper Planes Project

My research is out in the world 🩵 If you know any families who have loved a child through brain tumour, I'd be so grateful if you could share this quick survey with them.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/QtxHSgXzgWSotv37/?mibextid=oFDknk

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) are conducting research into how resources and services can best support parents like YOU. If you are the parent or guardian of someone who has had a brain or central nervous system tumour before their 18th birthday, have a say in how services are developed and delivered by participating in the QUT survey.

https://qsurvey.qut.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_bemuroVQ4isXm1o

The survey is anonymous and will take about 20 minutes to complete. The survey will ask you about your child’s diagnosis, and how you would like to receive support and information. Your answers will be used to inform how we develop programs and services to better support families going through the experience of childhood brain tumours.

To be eligible to participate, you need to:
- Be a parent or caregiver of a person who was diagnosed with a brain or CNS tumour before their 18th birthday
- The tumour can be benign or malignant
- Your child can be at any stage in the treatment, including newly diagnosed, in active treatment, under monitoring only, in palliative care, or you can participate as a bereaved parent/ carer
- Have used a hospital or community service related to the brain tumour in Australia (during treatment or after)
- Be able to use the online survey, written in English

If you are interested in participating, click here https://qsurvey.qut.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_bemuroVQ4isXm1o
The full information sheet is available there for you to consider if you would like to take part.
Image Credit: ”Kintsugi”, by Alison, Mother of Finn

I interrupt my self-imposed (and restful!) hiatus to share my son, balancing precariously atop a stack of crates.

Shoutout to Moreton Bay Regional Council for awesome opportunities to get kids out in using and engaging in 🥰

**Nature play for emotional wellbeing**

For anyone that wasn't able to make it live, the video is up from the "Good Grief" symposium run by Children's Health Queensland. I'm on at the 50 minute mark talking about how our bodies store emotions and how nature play can help. Other speakers cover topics like mindfulness, music therapy, and family sytems- it was such a wonderful session 💙

Link in comments!

Some very proud faces from yesterday's Children's Week Event, thanks to Children's Rights Queensland

💙

We are here! Whittling, weaving, and working at the affirmation station!

Come down and create Park, her until 12.30!

Join us for some October 31 and November 7. Due to *life*, these are probably the only two sessions we will run this term! Sessions are run by me, Mel, a psychology trained play professional, and give an opportunity for kids and parents to connect, calm, and get curious. We'd love to see you there!

*Sessions aimed at 2-6 years, but little humans will still get a lot out of the sessions- just may not be as engaged in mindfulness and some craft elements.
We run in Bunya, on Brisbane's Northside,

https://www.thepaperplanesproject.org/book-online

Why did this take so long to think of?! It seems so obvious now...

Today we went on a tour of this beautiful new school, doing education differently in Brisbane from next year 💙

Compass Independent School

We ventured out for some much-needed vitamin N (nature!) today.

As my Wild One marched into the deep mud my first thought was "I didn't bring a towel! No!", but when she exclaimed how it was the best fun ever and invited me to join her, how could I not? Plus, she told me, it would wash off.

So I smooshed the mud between my toes, and realised how right she was. This was amazing. And it will wash off.

Next time I find myself resisting the muck, I'm going to try to remember this lesson. Sometimes there's joy to be found in the dirty work, and if there's not- it will wash off.

💙 Mel

Virtual conferences- can't beat the proximity to the couch, but I do miss the people!

It's been an amazing day at Palliative Care Australia 's inaugural Paediatric Palliative Care Conference, presenting on the consumer voice we heard in the development of the Paediatric Palliative Care National Action Plan. Inspiring to hear so many remarkable projects going on around the country. 💙