Sharing our stories – Oliver

Oliver joined Brooklyn Playcentre when his daughter Hazel was 13 months old, and his son Patrick has been attending since he was six weeks old.

“I often tell people that joining Playcentre is the best parenting decision I have ever made.  The support I have received over the years from my friends at Playcentre has been overwhelming. From the meal train when Patrick was born, to the friendships my tamariki are creating, to the fact that I can talk to other parents who empathise with the challenges I face as a parent.”

“I work a 20 hour a week job at the National Library. I’m very lucky in that my job is flexible enough to work around Playcentre. I think if I ever had to choose between paid work and Playcentre, I’d choose Playcentre. I’m also lucky in that my wife works full time, being our primary breadwinner.”

Playcentre offers free adult education, including the NZ Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 4), which Oliver completed in December 2023.  He credits the Playcentre Education programme with providing him “a greater empathy and understanding of why our tamariki act in certain ways.”

“As a tāne (man), I feel it’s important to celebrate the completion to support other men to do the same. We are in the minority when it comes to roles in early childhood and primary caregiving, and the more we can encourage men to take a greater part in the education of their tamariki the better.”

When asked what he would say to other Dads considering joining Playcentre, Oliver’s advice is to “just give it a go and get stuck in.”

“At its core Playcentre is an extension of what we all do at home with our tamariki, play with them and teach them. I love knowing that every week I can go to a place where my kids can play with their friends, where I can chat and commiserate with other parents, and I can become ever more the parent I want to be.”