If you have ever taken an overseas holiday or a big road trip, you will likely recall that you experienced both unexpected joys and unexpected trials during your time away from familiarity.
Even the most prepared traveller will admit that travelling away from familiarity always brings unexpected experiences and that is one of the alluring parts of travel. A certain amount of preparation can be an advantage and will help the traveller experience less pitfalls, but too much, the traveller may inadvertently miss the best parts of the experience, like the tucked away alleyway that was lined with the best restaurants in town or the magnificent, secluded beach if only he had wandered 200 meters from the track.
The main goal in journeying to a new place is that the traveller will get to experience something new. Not only will the scenery be different, but by being out of his comfort zone, the traveller will be forced to face situations that he has never faced before which will show him how resourceful and imaginative he can be, and that is encouraging, and why so many travellers get a bite from the travel bug and want to go back for more.
Think about Parenting as an analogy for the overseas Journey.
Parenting is like taking a journey to a country you have never been before, where you don’t speak the language. In your care are little people you don’t know well and who randomly yell when you don’t get it right. Every information booth you stop at to get advice you are told conflicting information about where the destination actually is, what the best parts are and what path you should take to get there.
When you think of parenting like the journey above you may go a little easier on yourself! It is a confusing journey at times but it is life changing if you find the right path.
My best travel advice today is to practice being in the moment with your child, no shaman or kahuna will be able to match your child’s abilities to live in the present moment.
Resist the urge to do something that you were told you must do as a parent but has never felt natural or conducive to a trusting relationship. The relationship with your child should be guarded against ideas that put your child and you at odds with each other. Trust your child, he or she is here to learn and you are here to put a protective bubble around them so they can learn without discrimination.
My next post will be about Self-Acceptance as Parents.