Letting Go

What this means

There’s an issue I often struggle with that blankets itself over my mothering and spreads itself through many other areas of my life as well: My need for control and my desire to know what will happen next. I find this hinders my acceptance of my children and my acceptance of life in general, as I constantly want to control the variables to soothe my own worries.

To combat this need for control, I try to seek out the times that my lack of it has brought about a beautiful or interesting conclusion. I’ll look for times when relinquishing control left room for healthy and growth-filled moments.

To Do

Find an area of your life or parenting in which you feel particularly uptight. Take a picture of the child or situation that highlights your need for control, or take a purposefully blurred image to remind you of this idea, and write about what you see when you manage to let go.

“This can be as simple as letting your child make a mess while she bakes or get muddy while he plays outside. Or it can be something deeper, like working to accept parts of your child’s personality or your own shortcomings.”