Mary Willow - Parent Educator
Mary Willow - Parent Educator
After 35 years working as a nurse, midwife and early childhood teacher Mary saw a great need for a one-on-one service to provide education and mentoring for parents.
In response, she founded Plum Parenting, and since 2007 has developed unique skills and methods which are proving to be enormously helpful to parents, whanau, caregivers and teachers.
Mary Willow, Parent Educator
QUALIFICATION:
Registered General & Maternity Nurse
State Certified Midwife
Certified Waldorf Teacher
EXPERIENCE:
Parent Mentoring, 12 years full-time
Lecturing on Child Development and Parenting Topics
Teaching in Kindergartens and Nurseries
Facilitating Playgroups
Caring for Children with Special Needs
Co-ordinating Parent Education Programs
Prenatal Program Teaching
Midwifery: involved in legalising midwifery in Canada and creating a pioneering community midwifery service
General Nursing in New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada.
Management of Therapeutic and Medical Clinics
Parenting
History
History
HISTORY
Plum Parenting opened in 2007 and since then over 1000 families nationwide and internationally have benefited from this unique service. Parents receive one-on-one, in-depth mentoring sessions, covering all ages and issues.
From 2009 to 2012 Plum Parenting was based at the Plum Garden Parenting Centre in Brooklyn, Wellington (see slideshow below). During this time, Mary facilitated playgroups with an emphasis on parent education and offered 10 week parenting courses on Saturday mornings.
In 2012 Mary embarked on a two-year road trip around New Zealand, in response to requests from parents and schools, offering lectures and mentoring in their communities.
On return to Wellington in 2014 Mary re-established her practice with a full focus on individual parent mentoring, deepening her knowledge and continuing to hone language and tools to help parents and teachers.
Since September 2020 Mary has been writing her book on the successful methods she uses in her practice. Announcement of progress and release will be published to our website and facebook page
Images from the Plum Garden Playgroups 2009-2012
Mary wIllow: Magic at work (Documentary featurette)
“We are so lucky to have had Mary Willow’s help! We first met Mary when our eldest daughter started playgroup. She set us up with all the tools we needed to tackle periods of change from the terrible 2’s to the 9 year old phase, plus parental break up, shifting town sagas and Earthquake drama, Yikes! Poor kids!!!
We have heard Mary speak publicly many times, watched her in action with our children at kindy and playgroup and had individual counselling sessions with her. Now, when I get stuck on a parenting issue I just find a quiet moment and think ‘What would Mary say in this situation?’ and usually some brilliant Mary-like, simple and logical answer will come. And, if not I go back to Mary’s notes and find the answers there. Mary has been my guardian angel and I know my girls and I would be in a very different place right now if she wasn’t a part of our lives.”