Overview
November 2015: Maya is full of mischief and energy. She is the family 'wild child' and gets up to all sorts of tricks - she cut her own hair when she was 5, not long after she started school.
Family events
Grandad’s wedding was an important family event in November 2014, where Maya and her sister Emily were bridesmaids. The family went on a special holiday to Fiji, prior to the wedding when they meet up with their grandad who had sailed his yacht from New Zealand. Maya was christened into the Catholic Church in May 2015 when she wore her bridesmaid dress once again.
Family life
Maya’s mum Carol works as a practice nurse at a local doctors, a job that is much easier on family life than hospital shift work. She is still adjusting to her de facto partner leaving several years ago, and the consequences of that are still ongoing. For example, the family home is likely to be sold soon.
The children have an au pair who helps with family life. The current one is Robyn, whom the family like very much. They have had several au pairs over the past three years, meaning there is a period of adjustment after each au pair leaves and the new one arrives. The family also have a Chinese home stay student living with them.
Maya and her sister go to their dad’s home every second weekend.
School
Maya was comfortable starting at Kohimarama Primary School because her sister Emily is there so she was familiar with it. Maya needed help with reading, and the school started her on a Literacy Intervention programme.
Robyn picks Maya up from school most days when her mum is working. She works three days a week – 24 to 30 hours per week.
Cultural activities
Maya’s sister Emily plays the piano, and the plan is for Maya to start piano lessons in 2016.
Maya has enjoyed kapa haka at school, and will start learning Mandarin and Maori at school next year.
She belongs to Pippins – part of the Girl Guides’ organisation for 5 to 6-year-old girls.
Health
Maya wears glasses. Over the past couple of years, she went through a period of not eating or growing well, but this has passed. Her favourite food is pizza. She doesn’t particularly like green vegetables, but her mum’s not overly worried – says she tends to go through phases of liking and disliking foods.
Religion
Maya’s mum was baptised into the Catholic church at Easter 2015, as was Maya in May. Both ceremonies took place at St Michael’s in Remuera, Auckland. Maya’s mum choose to be affiliated to the Catholic church because the family enjoy the service and ceremonies at St Michael’s. The family’s connection to St Michael’s is important as it is the church associated with girl's secondary school. Even so, the family sometimes attend services at a Presbyterian church.
Free time
Maya is an active girl who likes biking, scooting, roller skating, trampolining, playing on the jungle gym, walking, and rock and tree climbing. In 2015, she learnt to ski on a ski holiday with her dad in the South Island.
She enjoys art and craft activities, such as colouring-in, and performance activities, such as dancing and singing. Her favourite pop singer is Taylor Swift, and her favourite song is ‘Welcome to New York’ from Swift’s album 1989. She would like to be singer like Taylor Swift or a comedian.
Baking is another interest, specially the tasting part. She has spent a lot of time over the years playing with her doll’s house, and still plays with it even though she now says she is too old for it.
Maya often has friends over to play, and to stay for sleepovers.
Sport
Maya goes to swimming lessons and gymnastics.
TV and toys
Maya’s mum says Maya doesn’t watch a lot of TV, preferring DVDs. TV watching mainly happens in the mornings, and is used to entertain the children while mum gets breakfast organised, makes school lunches and gets ready for work.
Maya likes cartoons – especially Peppa Pig and The Swedish Chef – which she watches on YouTube.
She has access to computer technology, but it’s not a big part of her daily activities. She’d rather play with her cat Holly or do something active outside.
She has no single favourite toy, but enjoys Barbie dolls, Duplo, and Lego, particularly Lego Friends. Her soft toys are her bedtime ‘little friends’.