When women support each other, incredible things happen.
I wouldn’t be nearly as patient with my son if I didn’t see endless patience modeled for me at every playdate. I wouldn’t be able to laugh at the many trials of motherhood if I didn’t have a community with whom to commiserate at regular happy hours and book clubs. I wouldn’t be inspired to do better if I didn’t have beautiful examples to emulate. There’s something truly unique about the power of female friends. As one anonymous quote so aptly observes, “When women support each other, incredible things happen.” The grace my mama friends show reminds me that we can inspire change through the simple, and challenging, act of consciously raising our children.
What we allow to influence our lives matters. The environment we create for ourselves, including the community we build, has immeasurable impact on our parenting. We can hang on to relationships which fill us with insecurity, or we can invest in those which build our confidence in ourselves. This choice will determine how we treat our kids and the degree to which we criticize or encourage them. Choosing wisely can make the difference between a mediocre life and one of joy and fulfillment.
Megan Stonelake is a therapist and parent coach who teaches parents all over the world how to become more peaceful. She has written extensively on peaceful parenting for Parent.co, Hey Sigmund, and The Huffington Post among others. You can follow her blog or schedule a session at her website. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
