• Purposeful Parenthood

    Accepting Children for Who They Are

    accepting children for who they are: Henry and Tate in downtown Austin

    Last week, Daphne commented on this post and connected me to Tilt Parenting. I spent a solid hour going down the rabbit hole. First, I watched the Ted Talk. Then I downloaded every PDF. I read lengthy descriptions and manifestos. At the end of it all, I came up for air. I declared (to myself): It’s time to start accepting our children for who they are.

    I know this is such an easy concept for many. But it’s hard for me. I haven’t understood—really understood—that Henry processes the world differently.

    We will be getting started on another formal evaluation soon. (We did one when he was in kindergarten, but … Read More

  • Purposeful Parenthood

    Unconditional Positive Regard: Why It Matters for Kids

    Showing unconditional positive regard for my children

    I have a lot of work to do on myself. If I don’t, I’m at risk of passing along my issues and my trauma to others. Several times a day I think: “I’m too messed up to be a good parent! I’m messing up my kids!” Or I think, “I haven’t done enough self-work to be the kind of leader my team deserves.” In those moments, I take a deep and try to remind myself that we are all on a journey. We are all doing our best. One of the things I am trying to work on the most is unconditional positive regard.

    Unconditional positive regard comes from … Read More