First of all, no, I’m not a parent. But I don’t care.
Making claims about parenting – or anything for that matter – is irrelevant from who you are. If you take issue with an assertion, it’s your job to refute the argument itself, not dismiss it based on the traits of the person.
So no, I am not a parent. But, I was once a child.
And that’s the point.
The most important aspect of parenting is connecting with your inner child.
When you have a healthy relationship with yourself, with the child you once were, you can in turn transfer that empathy to your own child. You can readily put yourself in your child’s shoes.
Then, when faced with a given parenting situation, you can ask, “how would I like to be treated in this situation?” You can consider, “am I fostering my child’s needs such as choice, support, consideration, and trust?” You can consider, “am I applying the golden rule to this little person?”
Because children are simply small humans. They are worthy of the same respect that you give your adult friends. The nature of the relationship is certainly different, but the intrinsic worthiness for authentic respect is not different.
Love yourself. Love your inner child. Love your own child.
With gratitude for reading,
JB
