Less Stuff, More You
Hello, hello
Welcome to Big Mouth—the newsletter for Family Day Care educators who are over the nonsense, tired of being overlooked, and ready to take up space.
Most weeks, I’ll be dropping in with practical tools, personal stories, and thought-provoking insights—designed to support the whole of you: the professional, the woman, the human behind the clipboard.
Let’s get into it.
Swinging the Pendulum Back: A Call to Slow the Heck Down
There’s a moment—usually around the fifth spilled drink, third nappy change, and second email from your service—where you ask yourself, “Is this what running a Family Day Care is meant to feel like?”
I’ve asked that too.
And I want you to know: it’s not supposed to feel like drowning in documentation or racing between tick boxes.
At this year’s Big Hearted Education, Swing the Pendulum summit, I shared something that’s been sitting heavy in my gut for a while now—we’re moving too fast. And it’s costing us the very heart of why we do this work.
The theme I kept coming back to, again and again, was this:
We need to swing the pendulum back.
Back from overstimulation.
Back from “more is more.”
Back from the hustle that’s turning beautiful educators into exhausted shells.
One of the most powerful lines from the summit came during a discussion about slow pedagogy:
“When you simplify your environment, you expand your capacity.”
— Victoria Edmond, Big Hearted Education Summit 2025(Yup...I said that! LOL, is quoting yourself cringey??!!)
It landed hard. Because it’s true.
When there’s less stuff, there’s more you.
When we step back from the need to do everything, we make room for the things that matter most:
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Sitting beside a child who’s deep in concentration.
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Following their lead instead of our laminated plan.
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Breathing. Actually breathing.
I didn’t start Big Hearted to help educators “fit more in.”
I started it to help us get clear on what we’re keeping, what we’re ditching, and what we’re reclaiming.
This year, I’m choosing presence over perfection. Depth over busy.
If that feels good to you, you’re in the right place.
This newsletter, Big Mouth, is where we keep that conversation going. It's where I’ll share the hacks, tools, thought-starters, and personal stories that fuel the work behind the work.
You ready?
Let’s go.
🔧 3 Hacks & Time-Savers (For Women Who Run It All)
1. Keep your tax records in your inbox, not your head
Set up a Gmail label called “Tax”. Every time you get a receipt, invoice or confirmation? Tag it and move on with your day. It’ll save you hours come June.
2. Old cot sheets = genius loose parts
Cut them into strips, plait them, twist them, tie them around branches or chairs. Add pegs and a laundry basket and watch the creativity unfold. No prep, endless play.
3. Stop reinventing the wheel
Create a “Done-for-Me” folder with your frequently used templates: menus, observation templates, newsletters. Use Canva or just a Word doc—but make it easy to grab and go.
🧰 2 Useful Resources for FDC in Australia
→ Growing Kind
Founded by the beautiful Aimee, a passionate early childhood educator who’s walking the talk. Natural play resources, loose parts, thoughtful books—and she’s joining us at the Big Hearted Conference this year! Don’t miss the chance to connect.
https://growingkind.com.au
→ “She’s On The Money” Podcast (Victoria Devine)
Brilliant for understanding super, tax, and sole trader finances without making you feel clueless. You can listen while chopping fruit.
https://shesonthemoney.com.au
🌱 Quote of the Week
“Play builds brain pathways for thinking, creativity, flexibility, empathy, and many other lifelong skills.”
— Heather Shumaker, It's OK Not to Share
Because when we honour real play, we’re not “just” supervising—we’re laying the foundation for future humans who can think, feel and thrive.
That’s it for first newsletter. You’re here. You’re doing it. And I’m so glad you are.
Next time: more tools, more truth, and maybe a gentle nudge or two. Because you deserve to thrive—not just survive.
Big Love,
V xxx
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