12/09/2023
Hands up if you really WANT to be a calm, gentle, respectful parent - but you really struggle?
Parenting - whatever style you follow - is bone crunchingly, eye wateringly exhausting.
We adore our children, but we're tired. We want to do better, but we are also having to deal with a mountain of other things at the same time. We want to undo generational cycles, we want to be anti-childist, we want to be kind, calm and respectful, but there are so, so many obstacles in our way.
To those who don't feel good enough - please know that you are.
If you're reading this, you're already a great advocate for children and you already a great gentle parent. It's time to be gentle on yourself now.
What do I mean by "do the least harm"? Well, it's fairly self-explanatory, but it focuses on TRYING to be anti-childist and respectful of children, but also acknowledging everything that's stacked against it. It means acknowledging that sometimes we will have to make tough choices where we won't like any of the options. It means at least considering any potential harm to children and going with the one that causes the least.
"Do the least harm" is realistic, rather than perfectionistic - and because of that it is a thousand times more powerful than trying to be perfect.
