My Inspiration for Intuitive Nurturing
As most of you know, I have 3 children. My second born, Ethan was a huge inspiration to the creation of Intuitive Nurturing. His arrival to our family forced me to put down the books written by experts and parent with the wisdom of my soul as well as my mind. In my case he and his sister officially shattered the idea of some stranger who knows nothing about my child having the capacity of being an “expert” on parenting them. Their powerful individuality broke my pride of being a well-read mother who also studied child psychology in college. Oh how I thought I knew it all.
Brandon, my first born, endured the cross of my arrogance. Being a new and insecure mother I fanatically poured over the parenting books striving to be perfectly educated in the science of child-rearing. I fed my son on schedule. I considered the advice of not holding him for very long as the thought was that he would get too accustomed to being comforted in someone’s arms. You see, at that time it was understood as being a hindrance toward a child’s development of independence. I trained him to sleep as a six month infant on his own. I allowed my son to cry for me and not respond despite the fact that I almost felt my spirit jump out of my skin to hold him. But that’s what the experts said I should have done. I was proficient in the science of parenting, only to learn that in the end raising children is NOT a science. It is about the art of bringing out what is divine, unique, and magnificently purposeful in this gift from God.
As a young child, my beautiful boy tolerated his mother raising him with a mind that was “book-smart” but with a soul that was silenced and, consequently, a heart that learned limits. I surrendered my own inner wisdom born of connecting with my son’s soul in lieu of the illusion that someone knew more about my boy than I. I would do almost anything to bring back Brandon’s young childhood and do it over.
Am I suggesting you ignore information produced by these knowledgeable people in the hugely complex subject of parenting? OF COURSE NOT. Gather as much information as you possibly can as you journey along your role as a parent. If your child is colic, learn as much as you can about it. If your child is exceptionally shy, research as much as you possibly can about. If your child sucks her thumb until the age of nine, find information about that as well. And so on. Educate yourself on the science of what may apply to your child but then master the art of knowing your child’s individual spirit. What is appropriate or relevant for some children may not be for yours. Tune into her soul by knowing enough about her so that you may get behind her eyes. Could it be that your child’s shyness is actually beneficial for her and not detrimental like so much literature suggests? Might the fact that your child is sucking her thumb be telling you something important that she is unable to verbalize? This is the heart of Intuitive Nurturing. 
I share these stories because I want to firmly communicate the grace and power of your own instincts when it comes to your child. Parenthood is one of the few times where an intuitive connection with another human being naturally exists. Even well-meaning professionals cannot possibly know what you as the parent have precious perception of. Yes, when it comes to the science of practicing a specific skill leave that to the professionals such as educators or healthcare practitioners. But always know that you are the professional on your child which has an important role in the application of that skill on your child. I wish you a peaceful and mindful parenting journey.
