INTERVIEW: TARA SAMUELSON

During lunchtime in Grade Nine, my friend and I checked our hair in the toilet mirrors and folded up our skirts so we could walk past a group of guys from the grade above us for the third time that particular day; my friend wanted to stare at her crush and hopefully catch his eye. She would write his name in between song lyrics we would write on each others arms almost everyday during English and tell me that she was going to marry him and have babies with him one day with a passion that only a teenage girl can understand. All she ever wanted was to have a big, happy family when the rest of us were talking about getting our first car and living out of home, marriage & family the last things on our minds. Fast-forward a decade or so, and my friend, Tara may just be the most successful person in the world, with all of her hopes and dreams having come true. She is now married to that guy, Corey and they have three beautiful children together. They are one of those families you see in the street, and you cant help but smile when you see them because they are just so happy and you probably think to yourself thats what I want one day. Meet Tara, one of the most beautiful and down-to-earth people you will ever meet, and her truly amazing family. ...I think I want another baby after looking through their photos. Uh-oh.Family members:Sunny 8months, Saige 5 ½ years, Ayva 7 years, Corey & TaraThree words to describe your family:Easy going, happy disposition & corny love JCurrently living:The Beautiful Currumbin ValleyProfession:Primary School Teacher Tara, firstly, you are truly amazing. You have three beautiful children, a spunky husband, completed your teaching degree whilst your two eldest kids were only babies, you have just moved into your dream home…and your only 27. Way ahead of the rest of us! Three beautiful children, TOTAL spunk of a Husband absolutely……It’s actually impressions like “being way ahead” that led Corey and I to making the big decision we did just recently. We just sold the house that we bought six years ago and have chosen to go back to renting!Corey and I have been together in drips and drabs of eleven years, married for five and it’s been a huge adventure full of ups and downs and I’m sure there will be many more to come. Since I can remember Corey and I have both spoken about one day when we have kids, we want them to grow up climbing trees, exploring tracks along creek beds, enjoying memories by the fire place, family meals on a big open verandah etc. When we fell pregnant at 19 years old we definitely weren’t in any financial position to buy property out in the Valley and had been trying to play catch up and reach this ideal of “being ahead” ever since and it has held me in fear. I guess another battle has been fighting the ideal notion of leaving something for your kids when you leave this world so they don’t have to battle financially. Corey (who is so free at heart) threw a statement at me one day and said “ Hun, we are not 50 and on the verge of retiring, we have got years ahead of us to consider what we will leave financially for the kids, let’s just enjoy the time with them now.” He is so right, this time in our kids lives is such a character building time. I don’t want my kids building their beliefs and opinions based upon watching their parents worry over attaining something as temporary as money. So we have made the choice to build memories with our kids that will hopefully last forever and see where that leads us. Any advice for mothers who are about to have another baby? (Um, me). What the hell do you do with more than one!Laugh together! Especially when you have two very close in age. Ayva and Saige are 19 months apart which is fairly close in age. I remember when they were younger at the end of a long day, all you want is some time alone with your man; you just get the kids bathed, down to sleep. You have enough time to wipe the baby vomit off your shoulder and their snot off your face from their goodnight kiss, throw the dirty nappy in the bin and race over to the couch…that first amazing kiss with your hubby sets of some kind of internal alarm system in the kids and one wakes up the other and within seconds both bubs are awake again. You have to laugh together in times like those or you may just scream!If you could teach your children one thing, what would it be?To love above all circumstances. The world around our kids can scare them into believing they need to be the strongest, most powerful, successful and dominant but we believe the most power comes when you love. It is really freeing knowing you have the choice to love and that love conquers all.Indulgence to yourself?Long, hot showers after the kids have gone to sleep and sitting on our verandah sipping on a nice wine and yummy food……did I mention my spunky husband is a chef !Best part of being a mother?That’s a hard one, I guess watching your kids take a family value you have and watch them make it become their own value. Something simple like our seven year old Ayva said the other day, “Mummy even if someone is naughty at school, you still play with them because if you give them another chance, next time they might learn to be nice.” It’s that kind of stuff that reassures you they will turn out ok.Favourite thing to do as a Family?Everyday off we get together we travel somewhere along the coast down south and explore and enjoy the beaches and eat yummy food together.How has being a mother changed you as a person?For me, especially as your kids get older, you are very aware that they form major parts of their identity from you, so baggage that I once held like anxiety, insecurities etc are traits I definitely desire my kids to be free of, so I myself are forced in a way to deal with them quickly and quietly.Style influences?For me it is about being practical but not making yourself feel like a 60 year old in a potato sack. Has your style changed much since you became a mother?As a child there is security in yanking on skirts, bikini tops and lifting up and hiding under Mummy’s shirt so these are the things I need to prepare for when approaching my wardrobe.Did you have any rules you stuck to when dressing whilst you were pregnant? Any advice?I loved wearing tight fitting things to show off my fast growing bubba. My main rule as a Mum in general is don’t be seen in tracky dacks, though I broke my own rule the other week and felt disgusted in myself ha!Beauty routine? (Post baby)Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise not necessarily for the beauty and anti aging benefits, more because I can’t handle the feeling of dry skin.