We talk to Casey Scorringe about being a mum of boys, her hopes for her children and how her perception of motherhood was different to the reality

3oth July 2019

New Zealand-based Casey shares with us her thoughts on motherhood, the inspiration for her son's names, what she hopes they remember about their childhood, the qualities she hopes to instil in her boys and the lessons that motherhood has taught her.

Can you tell us a little bit about you and your family? Where you're from, where you live and your journey to becoming a mum?

We are a family of four who live in the beautiful beachside town of Mount Maunganui in New Zealand. My husband Matt & I have been together for 15 years (since I was just 16 years old) we have navigated a lot throughout those years, grown together and now have two very precious little boys... Arlo (almost 5) is our little pocket rocket, full of energy 99.9% of the time, his mind as active as his busy little body. He has the warmest little heart and can give the most beautiful thoughtful compliments. Then there is Sunny (13 months). He is the ultimate cruiser who has slotted into our busy world so easily, always trailing behind his big brother in adoration, taking in all that he does.

We love the names you've chosen for your boys! What was the inspiration for Arlo and Sunny's names?

Oh, thank you! I heard the name Arlo early into my pregnancy and we both absolutely loved it. At the time we loved the uniqueness of it as we hadn’t heard it before. His full name is Arlo Jack, carried through from Matt's grandfather. Matt has always loved the name Sunny and when we found out we were having another little boy we openly mentioned names we liked with Arlo. Sunny seemed to be the name that stuck and he would always refer to my belly as baby Sunny. We chose his name perfectly as he is such a little ray of sunshine.

What do you love about being a mum of boys? And, just to keep it real, what are the challenges you face?

Oh I love being a boy mama, I feel like boys instinctively have such a special tender love and affection for their mothers. Between the two of my boys they are non-stop, high energy, loud voices. Even when you think surely they must be exhausted, it's bedtime and they have had a busy active day, they surprise us with this incredible second wind and are even more energetic then they were during the day! That is a challenge - especially when you're exhausted and running on minimal sleep. However it is also something that I love about them. They keep our world beautifully chaotic and fun and I constantly remind myself of how much I will miss all this madness when they are all grown up. 4 year old boy tantrums, now that is a challenge!

We are blown away by your videos of Arlo on a skateboard! Did this come naturally to him?

Yeah it definitely came pretty naturally to him, he has always had such incredible balance and from a very young age gravitated to playing with a skateboard in our lounge. Before we knew it he was dropping in on ramps.

Matt uses skateboards for any land based practice he does with his surf coaching and Arlo has always loved going to work with him. From quite a young age he would get involved with all the other much older kids and this certainly helped inspire him. He has a very determined little personality so he quickly followed suit.

What is the biggest lesson motherhood has taught you?

To savour all the moments, enjoy all the stages and not wish for what is ahead. This is something I am so much more aware of second time around. When Arlo was little I found myself often looking forward to what was to come - like hearing his little voice for the first time, getting a full night sleep or his first steps. Whereas now, second time around with Sunny, I’m so much more present to the moment and mindful of soaking up every phase I am in with both of the boys as I now know just how quickly the time passes by.

Can you talk us through a typical day in the life of you and your family?

Well currently our days have been starting between 5 - 5.30am thanks to little Sunny. Sleeping isn’t his specialty yet. During the week Arlo is at kindy from 8.30 - 12.30 so my mornings are spent with Sunny. We usually head to the beach for a walk and play or catch up with some friends.

When Arlo finishes kindy we usually do something as a family - Matt is away most weekends for work so we really try to maximise family time when we can. Our afternoons are either spent at the beach, at the skate ramp, at the park or going for a walk up the mount. It’s always something active and outdoors, as this is where our boys are happiest.

What do you hope your children remember about their childhood as they grow up?

I want them to remember lots of laughter.

I hope that we are making memories that our boys will never forget, from travelling the world with them experiencing different cultures to the little things like running around the house dressed up as superheroes or eating dinner in a hut we have made in the lounge.

I want them to have a vivid memory of what stability looks like and to always remember how much love filled our home.

What qualities do you hope to instil in your boys?

I hope to nurture my boys' kind and gentle little natures as much as I encourage them to be brave and strong, and I hope that through Matt and I modelling a strong and healthy relationship they are able to grow up to be respectful and loving in all of their relationships. 

What was your perception of motherhood before you became a mum and how is this different to the reality?

I think every facet of motherhood is different to how I would’ve perceived it to be. One example would be the reality of your responsibility. To be able to nurture and protect and to always be demonstrating the qualities and behaviours you wish to pass on to your little ones. I don’t think I could’ve ever understood all of this to the depths of what I feel now that I am a mother. Motherhood is life changing! 

And lastly, finish this sentence. Motherhood is...

Such a privilege. 

See more of Casey: @caseyscorringe