Posts in Motherhood
That Oh So Uncomfortable Parenting Moment: What to do when your kid refuses to participate
That Oh So Uncomfortable Parenting Moment: What to do when your kid refuses to participate

I have been a teacher for over a decade. I’ve taught Mommy and Me classes and also had parents visit their toddlers and preschoolers while in class with me.

I remember parents on countless occasions feeling concerned that their child wasn’t participating and I remember loving these parents and letting them know that however their child showed up was completely okay with me.

In most cases I’d see the kids more than once and develop awesome and lasting relationships with them. And even if I didn’t, their child was wherever they needed to be on that day, in that moment, feeling an array of emotions while being exposed to something and someone brand new. My goal was to keep the door open, let them know they were safe and invite them to join. From there, it was up to them. It might take 5 minutes or it might take 5 classes before they felt comfortable to participate.

A few weeks ago was the first time I was the parent of a child who chose not to participate.

And even though I knew from a teaching perspective it was totally okay, I, the parent, was NOT okay.

I always had compassion for parents in these moments, but I had no idea how excruciating it could feel until I was standing in their place.

Here’s what happened…

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Motherhood, Parenting, KidsKelsey Fox Bennett Boydkid refuses to participate, kid opts out of class, child won't participate in class, parenting, conscious parenting, teacher and parent perspective, mommy and me class, uncomfortable parenting moment, boundariesComment
Let Fear be your Guide & Let Go of the “Plan” - My Giving Birth Story
Let Fear be your Guide & Let Go of the “Plan” - My Giving Birth Story

Birth.

We are all born. Yet when I became pregnant I realized I had never attended anyone’s birth. I’d never witnessed it other than what I’d see on television and in movies. Even though it’s the most natural and normal occurrence and we all experience it as we enter the world, it was actually quite mysterious and distant from anything I knew. I’m an excellent student, though, so I set about to learn and acclimate myself - mostly in an attempt to normalize and de-mystify it. I watched videos of people giving birth, I looked at photos, I started following all sorts of doulas and birth centers on social media, I enrolled in an online hypnobirthing class, I set out to hire my own doula (and did - she’s great!) and then I absorbed everything that came my way through all these channels.

I became more and more confident in my ability to birth my baby. Yet, in addition to learning all sorts of pain management and mindfulness techniques to birth naturally, I also learned about all the ways to medically induce birth or intervene if something goes other than expected. As my husband likes to say, have the plan and then have a few backup plans just in case. Because this is the other thing about pregnancy and giving birth: It’s unpredictable…

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Parenting, Self-Care, MotherhoodKelsey Fox Bennett BoydPregnancy, Birth, Fear, Let go, Get clear, My birth story, Epidural, Induced Labor, Doula, HypnobirthingComment