parenting

Parenting with Nigel Latta

Nigel Latta Photo by: Jonathan Suckling
Nigel Latta
Photo by: Jonathan Suckling

Nigel Latta’s new TV series is focusing on the big issues currently facing our country and aims to get everyone talking.

The first episode titled “The new haves and have nots” aired on Tuesday 29th July with immense positive feedback from the public.

Sharyn Smart talks to him about the show and life in general.

“I had a sort of interesting university career.  I’ve got a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a Master of Science in Marine Science.  I went back and got a Master of Philosophy with First Class Honours in Psychology and then did a post graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology,” says Nigel.

“It was back in the days when education was better than free, I got paid to go so I could afford things that were interesting, that weren’t necessarily tied to a career, and come out of that without a massive debt.  I could never have afforded to do that now.  That’s where it’s difficult for kids today because the generation who go their education for free is now telling them you know what … we can’t afford it, you guys have to pay for it yourselves.”

Nigel says it would be easy to solve this problem by getting some of the multi-national companies to pay their fair share of taxes and then most people could have a free education.

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“Moving forward – positively”

With the New Year here, once again we all start making New Year resolutions.

In 2002 my resolutions came looking for me.  Life over-whelmed me, which in turn forced me to make some drastic changes.

I broke a bone in my foot, in December 2000 and spent a lot of 2001 having physio and not exercising much. The slightest step on uneven ground sent my recovery back to the beginning.  This meant that I spent a lot of time sitting around and eating.  I made a minimal attempt at using the time to change careers and started a writing course by correspondence.

In 2002, I got offered a part-time job.  The hours were great so I went for it.  Unfortunately it meant that for 10 weeks, I had to use my lunch break to race to kindy, home to our neighbours to drop off Alex and back to work, until Alex turned 5.

My husband, Campbell, ended up at A&E at all hours of the day and night in excruciating pain in his side.  They eventually decided it was kidney stones.  There were many blasting operations and stent operations.  Everybody was on alert in case he needed to get to the Hospital.  Every time he groaned in his sleep or got up to the toilet I was ready to organise his parents to come and take him, as I would need to stay with the children.  A good nights sleep was a thing of the past.

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