Take a bow, Terri, you’re an inspiration to single mothers everywhere
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Dear Terri, this is an unattractive trait, but I may be both jealous and proud of you. You single-handedly raised two independent, cheerful, talented children who are both strangely wide-eyed and extremely knowledgeable.
All in the midst of the lifelong pain of your spouse’s horrific early death. This is a magic trick that doesn’t happen often.
Parenting is truly a mixed bag. Even if your loved ones have bright attitudes, stylish sensibilities and a natural backhand.
Even if you’re someone who doesn’t complain about watching 750 hours of school concerts where your kid is on stage for two seconds, you still freak out after the pre-show despair fest.
Terri did this largely alone and in the spotlight. And she did it so well that her children emerged from the Australia Zoo as adults who could speak in sentences and dance the tango like they came from Buenos Aires – Bindi won Dancing with the Stars 10 years ago – and they seem to smell clean.
That’s Terri’s secret sauce. The Irwins are a global brand, but it has also enabled them to be a normal family who know how to work hard and cheer each other up. She raised a dynasty without raising divas.
How many of us can say this? I barely managed to get everyone into the car with socks on, let alone create children who understood that their responsibility to animals and nature, to their father’s legacy, and to each other was more important than anything else.
Most of us can iron a shirt and ask “how are you?” We are focused on creating functional people who know the only answer to the question. Terri revealed two adults who know the difference between being famous and being useful.
Two people who balance independence and maturity with caring for their family and mother. They light up when they talk about it. They respect his leadership and love. Because he nurtured their characters as well as their talents.
Robert appreciates this. “The most important people in my life are strong, strong mothers,” Robert shouted at Terri and Bindi during the TV finale.
Robert Irwin celebrates his victory with his mother and sister. Credit: Disney/ABC
So yeah, I was thrilled with Robert’s cha-cha-cha. But what I see is less about her flashy footwork and more about Terri’s boundaries being set, homework being checked, self-belief instilled, love never withheld.
Instructions to consistently show up instead of endless, meaningless “you are special” sermons.
Terri Irwin made Robert Irwin possible. His son’s victory is also his coronation moment; It’s a brilliant, sparkling reminder that great kids don’t just appear out of nowhere.
Bend down, get on. Take a turn, Robert. Then step back and give your mother the attention. The mirror ball belongs to him.
Kate Halfpenny is the founder of Bad Mother Media.
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