Parenting is an area of much discussion. There are many differing view points on how to raise children, and whilst I feel that they do have a role to play in helping us to find the approach that best suits us, I feel that our children ultimately tell us whats is best for them.

I had my son four year ago and to be honest it wasn't quite what I expected. My whole world was turned upside down, everything I thought I believed about being a parent and even myself was put into question and I had to find my way through a maze of emotions I just didn't really understand.

There are always plenty of people offering advice, and whilst it is kind of them to do so , it can sometimes just add to your confusion. Ultimately your intuition knows whats best for raising your child, and it is that that we should aim to find and understand. Every child is an individual and so there is certainly no set rule on how to raise them.

Having children has challenged me in ways I had never really considered. I guess I viewed motherhood with rose tinted glasses and whilst I got a shock as it tore into the foundations of my very belief systems, I was also introduced to a whole new and wonderful world. The gifts that our children bestow on us on a daily basis are numerous, but often these are overlooked as a result of our busy lives and what we deem as our struggles.

I have tried various approaches to bringing up my children and no single one is right all the time and being human means that I am by no means right all the time either! I have faced myself in the mirror feeling guilty for raising my voice and having not respond in the right way on numerous occasions. I have criticized my self terribly over the years and yet I rarely acknowledge my successes. Why is it as mothers we feel it is completely acceptable to take on all the responsibility for these new souls we bring into the world with little or no experience and expect nothing less than complete perfection! We expect to be able to always show compassion and understanding to our children, yet we show none of this to ourselves. Well it is for this reason and more that I have chosen to write this blog. I guess I wanted to say that its Okay to make those mistakes and that we are all doing the best job we can with the knowledge and experience we have. I am doing my best to allow myself to make mistakes and not see them as failures but as opportunities to learn and grow.

For me parenting is deeply connected with spirituality and that is why my blog will attempt to address my experiences of becoming a spiritual parent. That for me is about parenting in a way that nourishes our children's spirit, their divinity, the essence of who they are. For me it is about teaching and guiding, not controlling or dictating. Giving our children opportunities to develop good self esteem, confidence, the ability to make choices and understand consequences. I hope that other parents out there will join me on my journey :)