learning from my opposite

a lovely gift from tinyfolk - a house that inspires hours of play

Whilst pregnant with Poet I constantly reminded myself that I had to let go of my birth experience with Che because second time around it was going to be different - I was birthing a different baby. Not once did I consider that the same rule would apply to parenting.

When Poet was about 18-months-old she started to really assert her independence. She is all fire and quirk; she's fearless, quite demanding and rough with affection. She is my opposite and she's taught me that while consistency in parenting is important, honouring and respecting the individual child is essential, too. It's one of the most humbling realisations that I've had as a parent; never presume you've got it under control because when you do, your two-year-old with throw her head back, let out a raucous laugh and then look you in the eye and say: "No!"

There has been so much intellectualising of parenting lately; there are a myriad of labels and countless news articles explaining "how to". It can be so overwhelming and to be honest, I often think it's unnecessary. Right now I'm accepting the fact that sometimes, it's best to surrender to laughter instead of keeping a straight face. 

Daniel and I have had to let go of everything that worked with Che and go back to basics, right back to the beginning. As we wander the windy toddler path we teach right from wrong once the giggles have eased.