Our children are not copies of ourselves – although sometimes we would like them to like what we like and behave the way we want them to.
When my son was four, we went to buy him new shoes. I really wanted him to choose red trainers – practical and matching most of his clothes. However, he didn’t like them at all and refused to even try them on. I thought, ‘What? You’re my son – why not these? They’re great!’ He wanted green ones. I tried to persuade him to try on other ones – anything but the green ones, or even the red ones. I remember the looks on the faces of the people around us, wondering how it would end. It wasn’t pleasant. In the end, we reached a compromise: he would try on the red ones, and I would promise to buy the green ones too. He left the shop wearing green dinosaur slippers, with red shoes in his bag. At the door, an elderly lady said to me that I had ‘let myself be persuaded’. But was that really the case?
My son was learning the art of negotiation. He knew what he wanted and was able to express it. He made a conscious decision.
Was it really ‘giving in’?
A family is a team playing towards a common goal. When we win, we all win.
My mission
For many years, I have been supporting parents and carers of children and young people in public institutions. I am developing both professionally and personally. After more than 25 years of experience, I can say with complete conviction that the mental health of children and parents and educational upbringing are crucial for all of us.
As parents, we sometimes need support – because life presents us with difficult challenges: neuroatypicality, disability, behavioural disorders… or simply moments when we don’t know what to do.
That’s why MakeParentingEasier was created – because parenting can be difficult, but with the right support, it can be easier and more joyful.
