This isn’t about dividing parents into ‘us’ and ‘them’. This isn’t about #mumshaming or being a martyr.
This is about letting go of beliefs that don’t serve us.
This is about change and growth.
This is about trying to make gentle parenting ‘mainstream’.
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I am of course no expert by any means.
I do not have everything figured out.
My passion for gentle parenting and the abundance of information available might make it seem like I know the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of gentle parenting.
Sure I know the theory, but putting that ‘theory’ into practice is where the challenge lies for me and so many of us.
To break the transgenerational parenting cycle.
My gentle is tested every day.
Some days I ace it, other days I end up feeling like a ‘gentle parenting fraud.’
Everything I want for my child to know, I must imbibe first.
Regulating my emotions, finding my calm, being resilient, resolving conflicts with empathy and kindness, being gentle towards others and myself.
It doesn’t come easy. Healing my triggers has become more important than ever and I am taking slow and steady steps towards it.
So no, I’m NOT a parenting expert, just a fellow mamma researching and educating herself. And advocating for a better future for all our children.
Parenting can be hard, especially going against the trend. And so much harder without support.
Although I might not have all the wisdom and all the answers, I can offer you a willing patient ear, unwavering acceptance, warmth and safety.
You can reach out anytime if you have any questions, suggestions, discussions or you want to rant, vent or even just say hi.
I’ll be right here.
Dilshad is the mum behind The Gentle Mamma. She enjoys being a stay at home mum. Her little family includes her exuberant two-and-a-half-year-old toddler Zaryush and her husband Percy. They are based in Auckland and enjoy beach days in the summer, basking in the winter sun and snuggles all year long. She is an avid reader and a huge Harry Potter fan. She is a passionate advocate of gentle responsive parenting. This cause has long been close to her heart but it was the birth of her son that motivated her to further it.
In March 2017 she made the decision to share their journey into gentle parenting on social media. Having a public platform to share the things that she learns as they navigate their way through parenthood has been quite the experience. She documents their personal victories and struggles out in the open keeping it real and honest. Being able to spread awareness about non-punitive methods of parenting, reaching people all over the world and being able to offer that solidarity has been invaluable and humbling. It has also been a constant journey of educating herself, which has recently brought her to the realisation that her quest for a gentle lifestyle is incomplete without sustainability. In hopes of leaving our children a thriving planet, they are taking slow but steady steps to make changes in their lives and their household. She is grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many great minds and beautiful hearts.
