Our children just want to feel safe – they want to believe they matter. They want to belong and they want actions that show them they do. Our children want to be heard without judgement or shaming. They want to trust that we will look after our own emotions and not look to them to determine if we’re good parents or not. Our children don’t want to be feared into doing things. They want to be inspired. They don’t want to be punished but taught how to participate in the world. Our children want us to walk with them…to get curious. Most of all our children want us to know we’re separate from them, that they have a mind of their own… and given the opportunity they would love to show us… who they are.

pamblanchard