Her Day Is Mine to Make: Guiding a Young Child Step by Step
This is part 3 of 5 in my personal series, How I Raised My Daughter. I’m Shree, the founder of MindfullyRaised, and these are my own memories and beliefs, not rules. Every child and every family is different.
One day I realised something that both scared me and moved me: her day depends on me.
I can make my daughter’s day good or bad. I can make it boring, or bright, or surprising, or fun. That is a lot of power, and a lot of responsibility.
A small child cannot judge yet
A small child doesn’t yet know what is right, what is wrong, or what to do next. She depends on us to guide her. If I don’t guide her step by step, how will she learn?
Her day, and how she is guided through it, depends on her parent.
Making the day brighter, on purpose
Since that realisation, I have tried to make each day a little brighter on purpose. Not perfect, and not packed with activities, just intentional. A moment of play, a new thing to notice, a calm word instead of a rushed one.
For practical ideas you can use at home, our Mindful Parenting Guides have simple five-minute activities for different ages.
For you, tonight
Think back over your child’s day. Was there one moment you could have made a little brighter? Tomorrow, try just one. Small, repeated moments are what children remember.
The full series: How I Raised My Daughter
- Part 1: May 2020
- Part 2: The Job I Gave Up for Her
- Part 3: Her Day Is Mine to Make (you are here)
- Part 4: Chosen
- Part 5: She Is Watching
If this story spoke to you, share it with a new parent who might need it today. You can follow the series on Instagram at @mindfullyraised_.
