Every child, every family, and every carer has the right to be seen, included, and respected. The Possums Sleep Program intends to be inclusive of and to celebrate the rich diversity of human families, honouring the wonderful kaleidoscope of backgrounds and identities amongst those who care for small children.

Many parents are not female. Many children have same sex parents. Not all parents are of binary gender. Not all carers are parents. Many parents don't breastfeed. Others are chestfeeding or bodyfeeding. Carers, babies and toddlers live with diverse abilities and disabilities.

Where I use pronouns or gender descriptions which don't fit you or your family, I would like to thank you for your generosity in translating my words into pronouns and gender descriptions which do fit your family, your child and your situation. Similarly, when I describe practices which don't suit the diverse abilities within your family, I would like to thank you for your generosity and invite you to creatively adapt my work for your own context.

I have tried very hard to write and speak in a way that is as friendly and accessible for as many people as possible, which means simplifying at times. I'm very grateful for your patience if my words aren't quite a good fit for your family, because I want you, too, to feel included.

In The Possums Sleep Program I refer to newborns, babies and toddlers as his or her, she and he. I acknowledge that your family may prefer to refer to your child with the pronouns they and theirs. If this is your precious little one, I again thank you for your generosity as you translate my own use of pronouns to best fit your own family and child.

This video acknowledges the diversity of families for which The Possums Sleep Program is intended. It also acknowledges and pays respect to the Australian First Peoples, the oldest continuous culture on our planet, and in particular the traditional custodians of the land upon which this sleep program was made, the Yuggera and Turrbal Peoples. Australian First Nations have cared for and slept beside their babies and toddlers on this land for anywhere up to 65,000 years.

Resources

disAbility maternity care at https://www.disabilitymaternitycare.com/about/

On a street near where I live in Brisbane (Meeanjin), Australia.