We don’t discuss this enough, this parenting challenge of recognizing our child’s separate self and refraining from projecting our own idea of who they are, yet it’s so crucial to raising our kids. The core of autonomy-supportive parenting is that we are raising our child to be who they are (and to know who that is), and not who we want them to be.

If we open our eyes to it, grief is everywhere. That is why grief in childhood can actually be a gift as it allows children the opportunity to develop ways to manage grief that will help them throughout their lives. And the best news is that you are there to help them do it.

You can read and re-read this post (and the next one, part 2) when you feel overwhelmed by it all. When it feels impossible to use all the strategies. When your family’s basic survival is all that matters. When you just want to reassure yourself that what you are doing is good enough. It probably is.