This episode is a short introduction to me, Aisha and Trusting Children Podcast. I talk about why I started this podcast and how I hope it will help you on your parenting journey. I talk about how respectful parenting changed my life, what it did for me and what it can do for you.
Hello everyone and welcome to Trusting Children podcast episode zero.
This episode is a short introduction into who I am and why I started this show.
I am Aisha, your host, I’ve got three young children. A daughter who is 4 and twin boys who are 2. We also have 2 dogs. Our house is never quiet. Before I became a parent, I was an early years teacher for almost 12 years. My passion for early childhood only strengthened since I became a parent but my focus slightly shifted from helping children develop to helping and supporting parents understanding the developmental needs of their children.
Respectful parenting changed my life and I really want it to do the same for you. I created this podcast to make information on respectful or mindful parenting easily accessible, manageable, and not overwhelming. There is a ton of amazing incredible information out there but I know how busy parents are. I know how much time bringing up children takes out of your day. How much energy it takes out of you. So what I want to do here is share with you what I have learned and read in a realistic and manageable way. I will talk about one aspect of respectful parenting every week that you can easily implement in your day to day life. And as you go along day by day moment by moment you will slowly see these skills turning into habits. And ultimately you will see a transformation in the parent that you are and the relationship that you have with your child.
Being a parent is hard, it is exhausting, and it is confusing. And there is so much advice out there telling us what to do and what not to do. What we should what we shouldn’t do. So why would we want to spend more time learning about yet another parenting strategy? The reason for it is because this is not really a parenting strategy. Respectful parenting goes so far beyond being just a parenting strategy. It is about being in-tuned to your instincts and listening to them. And being aware of your own emotions as well as your child’s. It is about helping you realize the instincts that are already within you as a parent and bringing them out regardless of what the voices say around you. And yes there are some strategies, there are some tips and ways of helping you deal with challenging situations. But they all come from a place of compassion and respect and love and the understanding of your child as another human being. And that is what is so mind-blowing about it. That it actually is really really simple when you break it down when you look at the basics when you look at where it is coming from. It is just obvious and it feels completely natural and that is the beauty of it. That is why it feels so empowering both to us as parents and to our children.
So how has learning about respectful parenting helped me and what has it done for me and what could it do for you?
First off it helped me understand what is normal and natural in children’s development. It helped me to learn to trust that they are developing. Babies are developing all the time. Every single second that they are awake. It helped me shift my focus to celebrating the things that my kids already do. Celebrating how capable they are. Celebrating their abilities rather than comparing to others and worrying about the things that they aren’t doing yet. It released me from this guilt. This parenting guilt that I was maybe doing something wrong or maybe that I wasn’t doing enough when my child’s development was going at a different rate to someone else’s. Knowing that it wasn’t anything that I was doing or wasn’t doing. It was just the way that children just naturally develop. So that was a big thing for me. It also made me realise that I can’t control my children. I can’t control what they say or what they do. The only thing that I can control is myself. I can control my actions, my reactions, and my responses. And that again is a huge realisation when we let go of wanting to have that control over our children which can lead to so much frustration because we are never going to get it because they are a separate person to us.
It taught me how to accept and be ok around all emotions and knowing that all emotions are valid. We don’t have to hide behind them or we don’t have to hide them. That is for our children as well as ourselves. It also reinforced how communicating genuinely and honestly with our children is so beneficial to building that relationship. That lifelong relationship of love and trust.
Respectful parenting also allowed me to hold boundaries when I needed to. It taught me how to be firm without damaging consequences and not to be afraid of being firm. Not to be afraid of taking control when it is necessary. Because ultimately you are still the responsible parent. This can be quite a confusing aspect of being a parent when we don’t want to upset our children. When we don’t want them to feel sad about something. But knowing and understanding that children thrive when they have predictable and consistent boundaries helped me to not be afraid of setting these limits when they were necessary.
And then finally at the end of this very long list, it has truly allowed me to enjoy my children for who they really are without comparisons and without unrealistic expectations. Just being there with them and absolutely enjoying every stage of their development. Because yes, definitely every stage of development has its challenges but also every stage of development is so beautiful in its own way. Being able to enjoy that is such a pleasure. It is such a gift.
This is why I created this podcast. I want to spread this message of wonder and joy that respectful parenting brings to parents as well as their children. I want to help parents feel calmer about the relationship you have with your child. For you to feel more confident in knowing that you are the best parent for your child. Knowing that what you are doing and the decisions you make are right for your child and your family.
So, I hope you will join me on this journey week by week where we can explore what it means to be a respectful parent. Where we can grow and learn together in order to raise a better generation for a better future.
Thank you so much for listening. See you in the next episode.
