Knowing What’s Best

Have you noticed how challenging it is being a parent?

I saw a meme once that said being gifted an orchid is like being given a job…from my experience that’s kind of what having a kid is like too. You welcome to the world this most precious gift, a sweet baby AND you’ve just taken on the most challenging role you’ll likely ever experience.

(For the record, my child has thrived much more than the orchids who unfortunately crossed my path)

Everyone knows kids don’t come with instruction manuals, and yet there are people all over the internet and in your circle telling you the “proper” way to do just about anything your child needs, especially in those first few years. And the certainty with which they tell you these things, how could you possibly doubt them? Afterall, it worked for them and their kids ended up just fine…allegedly. And while hearing about others’ approaches to sleep, introducing food, weaning, etc. is helpful because again, this is all new territory, it can become overwhelming quickly.

I often notice that my favorite educational accounts online, including parenting, fitness, etc. will say things like “you have to do whatever is best for your family” and “you know what is best for your baby” which I believe is true - but that begs the question, what exactly is best for my family, our situation, my baby? Trust your gut, your intuition, your instincts - but sometimes that sense isn’t very clear.

So, I’ve created this guide to help new-ish moms learn to listen to and trust their intuition/instincts/gut, to be more confident in decision making and navigating the challenges of parenthood. Parenthood is challenging enough on its own, second guessing and doubting yourself every step of the way doesn’t make it any easier. 

How it works

The first step to knowing what is best for you, your situation, your baby, your family, etc. is to know what you value. What you care about, what is important to you in the context of your family/relationship with your child. You cannot make a useful decision if you don’t know what you are trying to cultivate, build or create. It’s like trying to map out a route without knowing the destination. 

You can look to outside sources for inspiration on what kind of relationship/structure/context you’d like to create for your family, after all, traditions and cultures persist for a reason, but too much top-down, overly structured input creates a frustrating and hollow life. To build a life suited to your unique disposition and personality the deciding factors have to come from within. To know what is important to you, you have to feel it. You must be open to the information and signals that arise within response to the stuff happening. Unfortunately most of us have spent our lives learning to repress and ignore signals from our body, whether they are indicating physical needs or emotional responses.

Fortunately embodied awareness is a skill that can be practiced and developed. 

The Knowing What’s Best guide walks you through theory and practices to rediscover your internal compass and embodied awareness to find clarity and ease in decision making as you navigate raising your child(ren) in alignment with your values.