Building Foundations: What Parenting Teaches Me About Reclaiming Balance and Confidence
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the foundational lessons I want to instill in my daughter as she grows. For example, I want her to know it’s okay to rest when she’s tired, how to nourish her body with whole foods, and the importance of engaging in movement she genuinely enjoys. Fostering healthy sleep routines and learning to regulate big emotions because she’s allowed to have them are also key values I aim to nurture. And I realize that these aren’t just things to teach her; they’re qualities I need to model through my own actions.
Two guiding principles have shaped how I parent through this stage:
The first comes from my neighbor Vero, a Montessori teacher with 30 years of experience. When my daughter was just six months old, she shared a piece of advice that I carry with me daily: observe often and notice what your child is working to improve on or is curious about. This is tied to Maria Montessori’s concept of “sensitive periods”, windows of time when a child is especially receptive to learning certain skills or gaining knowledge. For example, children experience a sensitive period for language between birth and age six. During this time, their ability to absorb and master language is at its peak. If we rush to do things for them during these periods, or miss the signs of their readiness, we risk undermining their confidence and their ability to develop those skills naturally. This has become a huge anchor of how we parent. We allow her to try things on her own, express what she needs, take risks, and it’s been amazing to witness her learning about her body, voice, boundaries, and environment. My role isn’t to control her but to keep her safe as she explores.
The second principle I learned from We Nurture Collective by Chinyelu, a Waldorf educator and parenting coach who has been a huge ally this past year. In a recent webinar, she introduced the idea of structuring the day around in-breath, out-breath activities. The idea is simple: balance quiet, inward-focused activities (like enjoying a meal, reading, or stretching) with outward, active ones (like playing, attending events, or riding a bike). This creates a rhythm that helps children feel safe, regulated, and supported. For example, we might start the day with reading together, then move into active play, and later shift into something calming, like coloring, and then (out breath) go to an event…
These ideas don’t just apply to my daughter they are naturally translating into my own life, making the day much more intentional, manageable, and enjoyable. Additionally, when I don’t take moments to pause, reflect, and engage in what I’m curious about, I risk missing opportunities for my own growth. It’s easy to push things off with “One day I’ll get to that” thoughts, but when I follow that curiosity and rhythm for myself, I can bring balance and avoid slipping into old patterns that I no longer want in my life.
This rhythm like the balance between rest and action has helped me stay more grounded, and more attuned to my intuition. I know that when I over-stimulate or over-schedule myself, I quickly lose my center, and so does she. Adopting the in-breath, out-breath approach has been a simple but transformative way to regulate my energy and stay focused on what truly matters.
Just as I want to create healthy foundations for my daughter, I’ve learned that it’s equally important to do so for myself. If something feels out of balance, we don’t need to throw in the towel because it seems hard to change. Instead, we can make one small shift each day dedicated to the area we want to cultivate more in. This is where real transformation begins compounding Simple Shifts over time, rather than chasing instant results.
True growth comes:
Consistency. Show up with intention each day, even if the progress feels slow. I always say change is a ritual, practiced DAILY.
Surrender. Do your best and let go of the need for immediate results.
One question you can ask every night before bed…
Did I give this my best ? (for now just focus on …did I give it my best in that area that I am working on?)
This simple reflection shifts the focus away from the outcome and toward how you are showing up in the area of your life that you are working on the most. It’s also a reminder that my best will look different depending on the day, and that’s okay.
If this resonates with you and you’re ready to make simple, intentional shifts in your own life, I invite you to explore my 1:1 Shifting Sessions. Together, we’ll work on reclaiming your balance, building confidence, and creating meaningful, lasting transformations one intuitive shift at a time.