The title caught my attention, but the reality behind it is even more poignant. We sometimes say they’re ‘the devil’ because they have that unsettling ability to lay bare our own weaknesses, our lack of patience or the flaws in our reasoning –that’s just how children are. That mirror they hold up to us is what’s truly terrifying.

I see Small Steps in your stories and it’s clear that, as well as being charming, she’s a force of nature. That ‘devilish’ spark is exactly what will enable her to navigate this chaotic world on her own terms later on. Parenting is, in essence, a high-stakes negotiation where the other party doesn’t play by the rules of economics, but somehow, we’re still right there in the thick of it. Blessings!