My Philosophy
On parenting
I believe that our children do not belong to us, we are merely their guides. Our role is to embrace who our children are and help them to fully express that to the world.
Every child exhibits strengths and weaknesses. These are all to be accepted and not used as evidence for our children’s “goodness” or “badness.” Our children are enough, just as themselves.
And of course, there are times when our children’s behaviors do not align with our expectations as parents. It is important that we understand the “why” behind these behaviors. We can then greet that part with compassion, while still holding a loving, firm boundary.
On parenting and education
We, as parents, are the only consistent educators our children will have. Many teachers will move in and out of their lives, but we are their constant.
It’s easy to think that our children’s education is as good as the teacher our child has that year. But research shows that it’s our “curriculum of the home” — our relationships with our kids, our family routines, our behavior management, our attitudes toward education, and the expectations we set — that are correlated with our children’s academic and behavioral success in school.
It is critical that we as families develop our own curriculum of the home to nurture our children and set them up for success.
Let’s get real
Some days, my philosophy is just that: a philosophy. Because when my husband is traveling and the dog is sick and the kids are fighting and the dishes are multiplying by the second, it can be hard to operate from that core belief.
I get frustrated. Sometimes I yell. There are days that I’m not as engaged with them as I’d like and I have insecurities about my parenting.
Parenting is really hard work. That’s why I lean on my own village for support. Let me be a part of your village.