Getting to know... Charlotte Parish

We get to know Charlotte Parish, mum of three and owner of Blenheim Flooring Xtra. Charlotte shares some life advice and a unique family tradition she will never give up.

I’m convinced that…

Everything happens for a reason. Some of the biggest challenges and disappointments in my life have led to incredibly good fortune. I believe you just have to be open and willing to go with the ups and downs instead of fighting against them. It also helps to look for the positives.

At the weekend you will find me…

Visiting family in Christchurch or enjoying Picton with my family. We always find that a trip to Picton, especially on a warm day, feels like a holiday even if only there for a few hours.

As a child I was really into…

Being a mum. At first, I wanted 100 children, then 12, then 10 and now I’m quite pleased with my three beautiful and crazy kids. When I left school, all I knew was that I wanted to be a mum, which is why Simon, and I had our first at 19.

When I need advice I go to…

Simon, my parents Rodney and Jane, or a counsellor. My parents are incredible people who started off with only a backpack and motorbike. Their guidance has helped me to have the confidence to get to where I am today. Simon is a pro at offering advice. Many times, I don’t even know what I really want, and he is able to help me figure it out. I am so thankful to have met him at 16.

The world would be a better place with…

More smiles and compliments. I love to make someone smile, to give a compliment when I see something nice, and to give a little gift when I can. You never know what someone is going through and if I can top their bucket up, even just a little, then it was worth it.

My most irrational fear is…

Of heights in movies. How can that scare me? I’m snuggled up in bed, not abseiling the side of a skyscraper or walking the ledge of a four-storey building.

My simple pleasures are…

Having a child fall asleep in my arms, a cuddle with Simon and a honey whiskey after a long day.

The most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done is…

Well nothing exciting, that’s for sure. I am very much an over-thinker and planner. Everything I do is usually weighed up first. Even at 19, when we decided we wanted to start a family, we bought a house first.

I wish more people knew…

How to give and accept a compliment. We are very good in New Zealand at brushing off compliments or worrying they were fake or backhanded compliments. It’s such a shame.

I’m currently learning…

More like always learning. Every day there is something new to learn. I have enjoyed working in different departments of Blenheim Flooring Xtra, to understand what works well and what needs improving, then making improvements. I am also studying the Coast Guard Day Skippers course.

The biggest risk I have ever taken…

Financially would be buying Blenheim Flooring Xtra. The biggest risk I have ever taken personally would be choosing Simon to be the father of my kids. Thankfully, both have been the best choices of my life.

A family tradition I will never give up…

Is waving our foot instead of our hands. Many years ago, my gran had her arms full while we were leaving so, she waved her foot instead. That started the tradition and even now my children will wave their foot when someone leaves. I look forward to doing the same with my grandchildren one day.