Parenting our tamariki can often feel like a private sport - no crowd, no rulebook, and somehow you’re meant to “just know!” What happens at home often stays there. The tough chats, screen battles, worry, and the late night-second-guessing usually stay behind closed doors. But this silence costs us: we lose support, perspective, the power of connection, shared wisdom, and relief of realising we’re not the only ones.

This is the whakaaro behind Path Wānaka’s Parenting Fest, happening on the 23–24 February at the Community Hub. We’re inviting parents to step out of the “doing it quietly” zone and into a couple of hours that could genuinely shape their family’s next decade.

• As part of Path Wānaka’s Youth Survey Project this year, we’re introducing a Parent | Whānau Survey. This facilitated inquiry by Ali McCormick and Gemma McCaw, is about making sure parent insight isn’t an afterthought, but rather the foundation. We want your lived experience to directly shape the themes and questions, so the Whānau survey captures what genuinely matters for families to thrive here. Your voice will also help chart what comes next: a future where our community initiatives and local support services are guided by what families need, not what we assume they need. By sharing your perspective, we ground the survey in real life, not guesswork.

Monday 9:00AM - 11:30AM @ Wānaka, Community Hub, 34 McDougall St

• Our Parent Community Evening, hosted by Ali McCormick, Gemma McCaw and Kirsten Roy, will offer a chance for parents to connect in person, locally and honestly. The focus is on strengthening local relationships at a time when so much of our parenting support has shifted online. This is a practical, collaborative session, so whether you’re in the thick of early parenting or navigating the ‘wildhood’ of raising your teens, you are all welcome.

Monday 6:30PM – 8:00PM @ Wānaka, Community Hub, 34 McDougall St

• Our Parent Whānau Coaching Groups create a space for reflection and practical learning alongside others who understand the realities of raising families. These facilitated groups are a mix of face-to-face and online sessions designed for small groups of parents seeking support, strategies and community connection. - Term 1 sessions begin Tuesday 24 February at the Community Hub.

Connecting as parents reminds us that the pressures we’re navigating aren’t ours to carry in isolation. Three things happen: we normalise the hard parts, we strengthen relationships, and we create opportunities to shape what comes next.

We want our Whānau community to reflect our values and thrive, so come and have your say! Your voice. Your community. Your chance to influence and help us get it right!

For further information about these events, and to register, visit us here.