We all have the right to feel safe - all the time.
Caroline Ellen 
Do you want your child to grow up knowing that they have the right to feel safe all the time?
That means... you need to make sure you're parenting them in a way that says “you have the the right to feel safe all the time”.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen by accident or by good luck.
There’s an awful lot about mainstream parenting that really doesn’t factor in whether or not a child feels connected, feels seen, or feels understood.
And for a child to feel safe... they need all of those things.
Raising a child who feels safe is about more than just telling them that they are safe. Raising a child who feels safe is about more than just the absence of physical harm.
Raising a child who feels safe only happens when you, as the parent, take purposeful, deliberate decisions about which parenting road you’re going to travel.
It only happens when you get your own stuff out of the way.
It only happens when you’re willing to reflect on your strengths and your weaknesses.
It only happens when you take action towards it.
It only happens when you decide that you’re going to respond thoughtfully and mindfully, even when it’s hard, even when you’re stressed.
It only happens when you’re willing to apologise when you get it wrong and when you’re willing to forgive when they get it wrong.
It only happens when you’re willing and ready to have totally awkward and difficult conversations with others, with yourself, and with your child.
Raising a child who feels safe is important because it’s their right as a human, but the benefits don’t stop there.
A child who grows up feeling safe is a child who grows up with a biologically higher tolerance for stress, better physical health, stronger emotional regulation skills, stronger relationships and stronger sense of self-worth.
In others words: if you want your child to ‘succeed’, worry less about what co-curricular activities they’re engaged in, and worry more about how safe they feel when they are with you.
None of us will get it right every single day, because we’re human. But the fact that we can’t always get it right doesn’t mean we throw our hands up in the air and act as if none of it matters. It doesn’t mean we stop trying.
It’s not always easy. It’s definitely worth it.
Categories: : Body Safety, Parenting, Conscious Parenting, Respectful parenting, Safer Stronger Kids, Children, Protective Behaviours, Consent, Respectful relationships