25/10/2026
Back when it was just me and my oldest boy, I didn’t know any te reo Māori. I didn’t want him to miss out on that part of his identity, but as a solo māmā, I had no freaking idea where to even start to help him learn or how it would be feasible.
Then I met Jarred, found out about Te Tohu Paetahi, and took a year to dedicate ro learning te reo Māori (lol cue covid hitting that year and jokes on me because what even was zoom & homeschooling a 6 year old while being expected to be on class for 6 hours a day & do assessments on top of that).
Things were very tight financially while I was studying. It was a big commitment, but it was a priority for us, so I worked out how to make it happen.
And I’m so grateful I did. I can kōrero with Jarred and all three of my boys in te reo Māori. For my younger two, it’s their first language, and being able to understand and be part of their everyday conversations means so much to me.
Even if I still get told off in our house for speaking English 😂 guuuuuuys I’m trying can you please not make it harder for me than it already is 😂😂
I’m nowhere near where I want to be with my reo. I still have so much to learn. But every now and then, in the middle of a very normal conversation like this, I realise how much has changed.
Once, I was wondering how I’d ever help my boy learn his reo. Now I’m telling his little brother not to touch the treats for my Lymphatic Reset Yoga class.
Just really grateful I started tbh, because it would have been much easier not to. If I can do it (the gal who couldn’t roll her r’s, who cried after every class, who wanted to quit) literally anyone can x
