Seven lessons can all parents should learn from Terri Irwin | Angela Mollard
With Robert Irwin now a genuine phenomenon in the United States, it’s time to give his mum Terri the credit she deserves, writes Angela Mollard.
The world is going ga-ga over Robert Irwin right now. Fresh from his win on the US version of Dancing With The Stars, head of our Top Talent Report for the second year running, and profiled – with genuine admiration – in The New York Times, he’s more than a celebrity, he’s a phenomenon.
Robert is one of those figures who charms teenagers, grandparents and social media algorithms alike.
So what is it with the Irwins because, of course, Bindi is equally celebrated? Should we attribute it to charisma? Media training? Great genetics?
As someone who once spent time at Australia Zoo with the Irwins, I’m calling it. The reason Robert and Bindi are such great people is down to one key factor: superb parenting. And while the late Steve was unquestionably a devoted father, it’s Terri who has done the heavy lifting. Here’s seven things we can learn from her parenting.
She created a sense of home
Steve was larger-than-life. He was all the colours and all the energy and Terri must’ve felt deeply, not just the loss of their partnership, but his dynamism. But she didn’t try to copy it. Rather she set about raising her children with love and presence. She understood that being there for Bindi and Robert was more important than anything else and if she had to travel then they went with her. Her prioritising of her children has established a deep sense of belonging. We talk about “culture” in a workplace but rarely in a family, yet Terri has shown how powerful a culture of togetherness can be, even when there’s only one parent at the helm.
She encouraged role models
Since we stopped being raised in villages, families have become more insular and self-serving but Terri knew instinctively that her children, who were home schooled, would flourish if they had others in their lives to turn to. To that end, Robert organically began learning about photography from the family’s trusted photographer, Russell Shakespeare, while actor Russell Crowe has long been a treasured family friend. As he once said: “Terri Iwin is quite frankly one of the most fabulous women on the planet.” Our children benefit from the ideas and influence of others. We should welcome it.
She nurtured enthusiasm
When I interviewed Bindi a few years ago, I found her relentlessly perky. Perhaps it was a persona adopted by child stars. But Bindi and Robert’s enthusiasm and natural joy is not manufactured. Rather, it’s a beguiling mix of attitude and gratitude that can only have come from Terri. In a cynical world, being excitable is a superpower. It’s contagious, which is why someone of the stature of Prince William co-opted Robert as an ambassador of his Earthshot Prize. When she took me to visit a newborn leopard cub at the zoo, I realised Terri’s superpower: she hasn’t just nurtured a love of wildlife and nature in her children, but a sense of wonderment.
She created rituals
Videos of Steve at breakfast. Month-long trips to the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve to camp and catch crocs. And, as Bindi told me, her mother’s daily insistence that she and Robert reflect on what they felt good about, what they were looking forward to and what deed they had done for others. These are just some of Terri’s rituals that ensured her children grew up cognisant of others. Not that she took credit. As she told me: “I’ve been very, very fortunate to have kids who can see outside their own bubble.”
She didn’t project her dreams.
Terri has worked hard to continue Steve’s legacy and she’s copped criticism for being over-involved in her adult children’s lives. The snark is misguided because the Irwin kids wouldn’t be so secure in themselves or as confident in their identities (Bindi says she is an introvert) unless Terri had fostered independence. As Robert has revealed, his mum has always supported his choices. As he said in 2023: “She says to us and she always has, ‘You’re your own people, you do what you want to do, if you want to get up and leave all this, the zoo, I am behind you 100 per cent. If this life is not for you, then go live the one you want to’.”
She’s a boss. But funny with it.
Pain has rarely been observed more palpably than on Terri’s face at Steve’s memorial in 2006 after he was killed by a stingray’s barb. But loss and grief haven’t defined her. During Bindi’s shoot for Stellar magazine, she encouraged her daughter to be bolder. “The look we’re going for is Jennifer Hawkins meets Little House on the Prairie,” she quipped.
She’s raised kids who love each other
Anyone in the throes of sibling rivalry will envy the closeness between Bindi and Robert. It’s not an accident, rather a determination by Terri that her children will always have each other. A similar approach has been adopted by the Prince and Princess of Wales with their trio. Too often parents want their kids to be popular so they accept every birthday invitation and playdate. Instead, the Irwins have stuck together – even moving to the US for Robert’s recent TV schedule. They also check each other’s social media posts before loading. Putting family first creates lifelong connection.
Do you agree? Leave a comment or email us at education@news.com.au
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