A Note Before You Listen This final conversation reflects on how systems have made families feel broken, judged and inadequate — and gently turns that story around. If earlier snippets in this series stirred difficult memories, this one offers a place to land. Please listen at your own pace. Support services are listed at the end of these notes. Episode Overview Families are not problems to be fixed. They are partners in raising children. In this final snippet of our Walking Together series, Naomi Greaves and Narelle bring the whole conversation home — to strength, hope, and the quiet power of reframing. Naomi names something rarely said aloud: that in Australia’s history, and in schools, we have made a problem of resilience — pathologising the very survival, adaptation and fierce love with which families have protected their children inside a system that still is not built for them. She offers reframes that cost nothing and change everything: the child who arrives late every day still gets to school every day. The parent who sends their child without lunch has still sent their child to school. Being present is the magnificent win — everything else can be worked around, together. Because change is possible: one relationship, one decision, one small step, one reframing at a time. In This Snippet • Relationships over hierarchy — never wearing the principal badge as a mark of authority; leading through relationship, not position • We have made a problem of resilience — how our systems have pathologised the survival and adaptation of families under enormous pressure • Not broken — surviving — seeing people who have survived, adapted and loved fiercely within a system that still is not built for them • Flipping the deficit — the child who is late still came; the parent who sent no lunch still sent their child; we build from there • Feet on Country — bare feet on Country, presence over rules, and finding ways to keep children safe without taking away what connects them • Hope, one step at a time — change is possible: one relationship, one decision, one small step, one reframing at a time • Walking together, still — the ongoing invitation at the heart of this series: to keep learning with and from one another A Question to Sit With Each snippet in this series offers one gentle question. There is no right answer, and no rush. “What strength have you shown in caring for your family that you would like others to recognise?” Quotable Moments “We have made a problem of resilience — of the outcomes of people who are just being resilient, or protecting their children under enormous pressure. Being able to reframe that, and look at those things as strengths, would make such a huge difference.” — Naomi Greaves “We’re not looking at broken people. We’re looking at people who have survived, who have adapted, who have found a way to do that within a system that still isn’t built for them and doesn’t always work for them.” — Naomi Greaves “The kid that comes to school late every day gets to school every day — and we start with a celebration of that.” — Naomi Greaves “The parent that sends their kid to school with no lunch has still sent their kid to school every day. Being able to build from there, rather than see that as a deficit, makes a huge difference.” — Naomi Greaves “Relationships over hierarchy.” — Naomi Greaves “Being present and being there is the magnificent win.” — Narelle Lemon “There is such importance in putting our feet on Country, and being in nature. If we can find a way where we can keep kids safe but they can still have that opportunity, that’s a win for everybody.” — Naomi Greaves “Change is possible — one relationship at a time, one decision at a time, one small step at a time, one reframing at a time.” — Narelle Lemon Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity while preserving the speaker’s meaning and voice. About Naomi Greaves Naomi Greaves is a proud Torres Strait Islander woman and school principal. Her leadership is grounded in compassion, restorative practice and a deep commitment to walking alongside families and community. Through her own education journey — and the discovery of her own neurodiversity and that of her children — Naomi has become a passionate advocate for inclusivity in schools and for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She leads with the belief that trust is earned through truth-telling, reciprocity and genuine relationship. About the Walking Together Series Walking Together is a series of eight She Snippets — short, honest reflections created in partnership between She Speaks and Naomi Greaves. Across the series, Naomi and Narelle have explored why trust is hard, what restorative practice really is, the difference between reporting and supporting, reclaiming voice, cultural safety and two-way learning, repair without shame, and building your village one safe person at a time. The series began with validation — your caution makes sense, and you deserve to be seen and believed — and it ends where partnership begins: you are not the problem. The invitation to walk together, learning with and from one another, remains open. If This Conversation Brings Things Up for You • 13YARN — 13 92 76 (24/7) — crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people • Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7) — crisis support and suicide prevention for all Australians • Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 (24/7) — mental health support and information Connect With Us • Listen to the full Walking Together series from Snippet 1, “Why Trust is Hard (And Why That Makes Sense)” • Follow She Speaks on Instagram: @shespeakswellbeingstrategies • Visit our website: www.shespeakswellbeing.com Acknowledgement of Country She Speaks acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which this conversation was recorded and shared, and pays respect to Elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Storytellers of this continent, and we recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. We are grateful for the opportunity to walk together, learning with and from one another. A Note on Wellbeing She Speaks is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices on self-care and wellbeing. While we share personal experiences and lived wisdom, this podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health support. If you are struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a qualified mental health practitioner or one of the services listed above. She Speaks is proudly supported by the Western Australian Government.
