There are times I am in the middle of doing something mundane and inspiration strikes...so I open up my art journal and start drawing something. Or I write a few words down on a scrap of paper. I often open up the notes feature on my phone and use the microphone to record some thoughts. Those random words turn into blog posts, stories and poems.
Natural felt right for this painting.
I love the idea of "natural" when it comes to parenting as well. And no, I don't mean natural is in crunchy, organic, holistic etc. not that I find anything wrong with any of those things. I mean, as long as I can still have Oreos once in a while. Balance.
Anyway, I mean natural in terms of the feeling of being a parent.
I had zero clues how to be parent before I became one. Really, I also had zero clues after actually becoming a parent. Currently, I have one, maybe two clues, and I hope those continue to accumulate as I gain more parenting experience. Although I had zero clues, I did have a hopeful heart. And apparently some of those parenting things actually do come naturally!
I feel like a big part of the whole "naturally knowing how to be a parent thing" is you have a natural instinct as to what is right for YOUR child. Other people can give you all kinds of advice, tell you how they did all kinds of things, and while they might be doing absolutely everything right for their child, that does not mean it is a fit for your own. No way. I speak from limited experience here, but as someone with a clue and a half, listen to me. You know your child better than anyone. That will probably change as they start to really grow up and turn into independent souls trying on a variety of personalities and experiences, but right now, at these tender young ages, you know them. You do. Like, I, for example, knew my son wanted strawberries when he said "tartars" and "car" meant "car" while "car car" meant motorcycle. I also knew when some things he was experiencing at age 3 were not part of the typical child experience...and I knew he needed some additional help.
I know it all feels overwhelming. I stood in a baby store, very pregnant and very confused, asking my bff if she could just pick everything out for me. (and she did, and that stuff was great) Of course, once my son actually arrived, I was able to learn from him about what he needed, what would work for him, what would work for all of us together as a family.
It was a natural thing that continues to evolve. I am finding I do my best parenting when I also let it happen naturally. I can plan and worry and try to make everything perfect but sometimes the day is just so much better when we stay in a build a couch cushion fort... because my very vocal child is in need of a rest day at home, away from the world and all of its demands, just for a day. I am not inside his head to understand every thing he's feeling, but right now I know what he needs.
It's only natural.
xoxo
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