As a parenting coach I have nothing but praise for the manner in which the Pulver family have handled the diabolical bomb hoax perpetuated on 18 year old Madeleine, in Mosman, an upper class suburb on Sydney’s north-shore.

An intruder broke into the family home on 3 August, 2011 and a hoax bomb was tied around Maddie’s neck where it remained for over 10 hours.

News of this incident has traversed the globe from Australia, to the United States, to the United Kingdom and Asia. The family has been the focus of huge media attention due their wealth and the international connections of Maddie’s father Bill Pulver. Now the chief executive officer of the world leading voice recognition software group Appen he was previously the president and chief executive officer of the Nasdaq-listed international internet research company, NetRatings. Due to his share options in the company Mr Pulver made his fortune when NetRatings was taken over by research giant Nielsen in 2007.

The Pulver family has been given no privacy by the media which has globally reported on the wealth of the family, their family home, the private schools attended by the children (Maddie attends Wenona and her brothers attend SHORE), the sporting activities of the children and virtually every aspect of the Pulver’s daily lives. Just as the frenzy died down somewhat the media got news of the fact that FBI had arrested an Australian businessman in the United States, in connection with the bomb hoax. His extradition back to Sydney is imminent.

The Pulver family seems to have coped with the ordeal by refusing to allow it to effect their lives and by maintaining as normal a routine as possible. A few days after the incident Maddie participated in her normal weekend school hockey game after an early morning swim with a friend. She managed to laugh and relate to her team-mates much as normal.

It is my firm belief that based on the teachings of masters such as Dr John DeMartini and Dr Wayne Dyer that the refusal of the Pulver family to view themselves as victims and their refusal to adopt a ‘poor me’ attitude will enable a full recovery by them all. Rather than focusing on the negatives of the situation they appear to be focusing on the positives such as the support they have been given by friends, the opportunity for them all to grow and the opportunity for the family bonds to deepen. This positive focus ensures that the vibration that they are emanating is positive and based on the universal laws they then attract back positive occurrences as like attracts like.

Had they adopted a victim mentality they would be emanating a negative vibration and this would attract more negative occurrences, which could well have plunged them into a dark abyss which would have been very hard to climb out of.

The mindset they are adopting will ensure that they come through the situation as stronger people.

Tonette Kelly

Parenting Coach