Take Heart

These days, families come in all shapes and sizes. They move from one state to make a new family in another. They combine into new homes, take holidays with blends of children and parents from different households. They invent new routines and rituals to establish their own rhythms. And don't forget the double sets of school uniforms and pyjamas under different parents' roofs. Welcome to the new normal of family life for many Australians. It is a path Chloe Shorten has walked. Chloe was surprised at the lack of helpful information and unexpected tripwires for those not fitting the traditional cookie-cutter model. She was also heartened by the sensible advice she unearthed, the resilience of her children and the joy of watching her husband become a new father three times over. Chloe Shorten tells of her own quest to create a new normal. Honest, sincere and warm hearted, this is a story of the modern household and explores the idea of who qualifies as 'a family' in the twenty-first century.