Folks We Love with Robyn Birkin
Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you’ve come to arrive here.
A crazy cocktail of soul searching, positive thinking, putting my trust in modern medicine, IVF and a total wellness overhaul gave my lover and me the most beautiful gift of all, a little lady called Chloe.
Who’s in your family? Ages? Names?
I’m married to a surfer and my high school sweetheart, Rosco, and together we have a 10.5 month old called Chloe Lucinda Birkin.
How did you choose your kids names?
I liked fairly new age names and my lover liked very traditional names, but somehow we seemed to both agree on Chloe one night and that was the end of the discussion. One of my best friends and favourite people in life was my grandmother, Averil Lucinda Milson. She was an amazing woman, and Chloe and her share the same middle name.
Location?
Sunny, coastal Perth in Western Australia.
Occupation?
A marketing and events guru at a Private Girls’ School.
What’s on your manifest board?
Lots of pregnant bellies. This year we’re embarking on round two of baby making, and I can’t wait to start this journey again. I’m also embarking on a new adventure (after my own crazy journey) that helps women emotionally when they’re trying to conceive – Be a Fertility Warrior. We’re blessed with so much wonderful technology and science to help us get pregnant when it doesn’t happen straight away, but there isn’t much out there to help us mentally and spiritually, so I want to use my experience, my journey and my learnings to lift other women up.
It also has beautiful food as I focus on my food photography, and more dates nights with my lover, pictures of us together as we focus on prioritising each other. There are also pictures of the sun and surf and a fireplace… I fireplace must be in our future this year!
Tell us some of your most loved ways to spend the day with your clan?
It doesn’t matter where we are; the best times are any times the three of us are together. Sitting on the beach and playing in the sand and the water is our collective idea of heaven.
What are some silly/fun things that the kids do or say?
Chloe recently started commando crawling and blowing raspberries at the same time. I have a video of it, and it cracks me up every time. I love the way she plays with our cats, the way she plays peek-a-boo but doesn’t quite know how to do it properly and the way she puts every ounce of energy into squeezing the juice out of her piece of watermelon. It’s all typical baby stuff but it’s hilarious and fascinating to see them learning how everything works for the first time.
When you were a teenager what did you dream of? Do things look different?
When I was a teenager, happiness was being a career superwoman and earning squillions of dollars. I have learnt that money comes and money goes, and that you can have the best paid job in the world and be miserable if you don’t enjoy it.
Happiness comes from surrounding yourself with positive energy, sharing love and compassion and appreciating all of the wonderful things around you.
When I was about 12 years old, I also envisaged myself as the next Melissa George and ran away from home (to about the end of the street!) because my parents wouldn’t relocate to Queensland so I could follow in her footsteps, but that’s another story…
What are some things you really believe in?
I believe in kindness and compassion for everyone and everything. I thrive and support a plant based diet, and I look forward to the day that all Australians can get married.
Where do your passions lie?
I love taking photographs, spending time in the kitchen and kicking my heels up to music, but what I’m passionate about is helping others. I hope that by being an open book in my life and sharing my journey with others. Be it my diet and wellness lifestyle, my fertility journey or my life as a mumma bear, I hope that I inspire others around me to live their best life.
Has your relationship with your other half changed since having kids?
Absolutely, and it is still evolving and changing. My lover was my first kiss when I was 13 years old, so for many years now we’ve had the good fortune to be able to watch each other and our relationship grow and change. The constants are that we love each other and we’re committed to sharing or journey together. Right now we’re in a space where he is the main breadwinner and I am the main caregiver and finding our groove with how that works. We’re also really starting to find the time again to get to know each other and have fun as a couple again.
What are some of your favorite life lessons you’ve grown to love? (even if learning them at the time was hard)
I’ve learnt to be zen. Nothing good comes from losing your cool.
I’ve learnt that worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, but it will strip today of its joy
I’ve learnt that we grow when we’re challenged
I’ve learnt that babies can’t read, so they probably don’t know what the text book tells them they should be doing. You can waste so much time trying to mould your baby into an average, or sit back and enjoy your baby while you still can
I’ve learnt to not sweat the small stuff
There’s a Japanese proverb that says ‘Fall down seven times. Stand up eight.’
I’ve learnt that kindness and compassion don’t cost a thing and should be spread around liberally
What do you wish you could’ve told yourself when you were a teenager?
That the small stuff isn’t worth worrying about – marks at school, the pursuit for ‘the perfect body’, being popular – none of that stuff will matter when I’m 80.
What do you find most challenging about being somebody’s parent?
The lack of time for myself. I’m with my babe and give over everything to her during the day, then go on-duty for my husband in the evening, and back to my babe at night. Being a parent can be a truly selfless job, the hardest, but the best job.
What do you want your kids to learn about the world?
I want my children to learn that there are good people everywhere and that kindness and compassion are the keys to our world moving forward. I once read someone write that in a tragedy or disaster they should look out for the helpers. There are always people helping. I want my children to look for (or be) the helpers.
I also want them to learn that education is one of the most powerful tools you can give a person, and to not take theirs for granted.
What are 4 things you can’t live without as a parent?
Vodka… no, just kidding.
My Close to Nature Wrap – my babe lived in that thing from 3 – 6 months.
Coconut oil – great for all things baby related – cracked nipples, cradle cap, soothing babes skin when it is dry and taming my crazy hair when I am running out the door
Chloe’s Blankie Buddy from Vitamins Baby (we have relatives in Florida, and I’ve just recently had more shipped from the US) – small enough that I didn’t have to worry as much about SIDS but a huge source of comfort for my babe
My friends and family – when Chloe was born, I received so many thoughtful meals, and when I’ve had a rough night with the babe, I know that if I need, I always have someone who can pop in so I can have a rest