Until our world decides that every human matters, that everyone has a right to food and safety and freedom and healthcare and equality, it is the obligation of those privileged to have food and safety and freedom and healthcare and equality to fight tirelessly for those who do not.
When life feels too big to handle, go outside. Everything looks smaller when you’re standing under the sky.
Keep working on you. Remind yourself that it’s your emotions and experiences and expectations that are causing your outbursts, not your little one’s behavior.
As Maya Angelou, American author, poet, and self-described Renaissance Woman, wrote, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.
No matter the problem, kindness is always the right response.
Patience is an inner pause, a brief stillness, a moment we give ourselves to breathe through our initial reaction so we can move to the place where a calm, thoughtful response is born. Patience is a gift of time we give ourselves so we can give the gift of peace to others.
When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not join their chaos.
When you see a dandelion do you see a wish or a weed? When you hear a child cry do you hear a need or a demand? When you wash a sticky face do you feel blessed or burdened? As parents, our perspective determines our response, and our response determines our children’s reality. So let’s wish wishes, meet needs, and count blessings to make childhood a magical, peaceful, joy-filled reality for both our children and ourselves.
You’re going to make mistakes as a parent. It’s literally inevitable. You’re human, and mistakes are just part of being human. It’s how you handle your mistakes that matters most. Acknowledge them. Apologize for them. Make them as right as possible. Learn something from them. And then let them go. It’s okay. I promise. After all, how else will our little humans learn that it’s okay to be human.
Respecting a child teaches them that even the smallest, most powerless, most vulnerable person is worthy of respect. And that is a lesson our world desperately needs to learn.
Strong-willed children often grow into strong-willed adults who become world leaders, world shapers, and world changers. Parenting them peacefully is not only possible, it’s imperative because sowing peace in their hearts now while they’re in our care will grow a future of peace later when the world is in their care.
Equating discipline with punishment is an unfortunate, but common misconception. The root word in discipline is actually disciple which in the verb form means to guide, lead, teach, model, and encourage. In the noun form disciple means one who embraces the teaching of, follows the example of, and models their life after.
One day your child will make a mistake or a bad choice and run to you instead of away from you and in that moment you will know the immense value of peaceful, positive, respectful parenting.
What if I told you that what the world needs right now is you – flawed, fumbling, wounded, trying-to-figure-it-all-out you? Because that’s exactly what it needs, you know – more velveteen-real people who are a little worn and a little weary, but who bring a whole lot of warm and welcoming and wonderful to life.
YELLING silences your message. Speak quietly so your children can hear your words instead of just your voice.
Growing independence, though, doesn’t have to mean growing separation. Humans were created to be relational beings. We may outgrow our dependency, but we never outgrow the need for community, interaction, appreciation, reassurance, and support.
The parents’ perceptions all too often become the reality. In other words, who they believe they are raising is who they will raise.
If I leave this world with only kindness as my legacy, it will be enough.
We are imperfect humans growing imperfect humans in an imperfect world, and that’s perfectly okay.
Night waking isn’t the sign of a bad baby. It’s the sign of a normal baby. Nighttime needs are as valid as daytime needs and nighttime parenting as necessary as daytime parenting. Crying is communication, not manipulation. Respond to your baby’s cries, even if all they need is to know you’re there. You’re not being manipulated. You’re being a parent.