Whānau Matters
Gabrielle and Simon (Si) live with their four daughters in a remote bay in the Marlborough Sounds. Si works long days as a mussel farmer and Gabrielle home-schools the kids. The aquaculture industry has been a large part of their life and has provided a wonderful lifestyle for their family. But as you would expect, it’s not always smooth sailing.
The demands of the job mean Si works long, challenging days. This kind of workload is tough on him physically and mentally. It also means Gabrielle is relied on to do the majority of the parenting and day-to-day running of the house. But by working together and looking out for each other they have found a balance between work and home life which works for them.
“
Mindset is a huge thing. Your attitude on how you are going to face things makes a massive difference.”
- Gabrielle
When Si has had a hard day, Gabrielle has a number of ways in which she helps him out. From making sure he has a decent meal to take with him on the boat to just letting him have the space he needs to gather his thoughts. “Sometimes 15 minutes in the shed is all he needs.”
Gabrielle has seen the stresses and pressure of the job take a toll on the body physically. So while the temptation is to “push through or carry on”, it’s really important to seek medical advice or encourage your partner to do the same.
FirstMate is here to help
Managing the day-to-day stress’ of balancing your job with family life is not always easy. So if you need some advice or just someone to listen get in touch today. We are here to help.
Call 0800 ADRIFT for support any day between 7am and 10pm or email info@firstmate.org.nz to access the support you need. We also have a growing library of free resources available for you to access on our website.
