My name is Kim McGuinness. I am the founder and director of Network Central – a network for Businesswomen in middle to senior management. Network Central has been running since early 1999 and has been dubbed the network with soul and purpose many, many times. It is my fervent belief that everyone on this planet is an incredible person with potential that is limitless. We nurture that potential every day at work through seminars, training and mentoring, however we seem to ignore our role as parent and assume we can just manage by instinct. Through connections at Network Central, I have been honoured and privileged to meet many people who consistently inspire and have a massive role to play in the future of young people on this planet. Now is the time to share them, learn from them and collectively drive a movement to support parents and children. I look at my own two children and wonder what the world will be like when they are my age.
The Thinking parents forum has been a long time in the making. In 2005 we ran a couple of events with the same name through Network Central. The events were well received but two toddlers at home and the job of running the Businesswomen’s Breakfast Series took precedence and the program was shelved for that moment.
Through The Thinking Parents Forum we hope to create a community dedicated to inspiring the next generation of leaders and trail blazers - by inspiring the parents. We will start, and fuel, discussions on all manner of topics related to young people, children and babies. Let’s form a supportive environment not afraid to challenge the status quo and raise the bar when it comes to our most important and precious members of our community – our kids.
So let us challenge your thinking, raise your understanding, connect you to others and explore alternative views and ideas. You may not always agree and that’s OK. A considered opinion always considers opposing views. It should be noted that we are not interested in changing your style, telling you what to do or how to do it. If you want a how-to guide then there are many great websites for that (and we can recommend some). We are interested in presenting research, opinion and knowledge to allow you to confidently make up your own mind.
We know that every child is different, and so is every parent. We look forward to welcoming you.