Finding family flow

This summer I had a moment while out on a family canoe ride where I realized that the gentle, respectful and positive Montessori-inspired family life we’ve been building was really starting to flow.

This week, a Lego village has been an ongoing collaborative project requiring no mediation or help from adults.

These moments of family flow: an outing that goes smoothly or a conflict that our children resolve on their own, are lingering longer and linking across hours, and sometimes days.

And then it’s gone.

I’m pulled back into the role of the active, intentional parent: being mindful of my needs and of each of my children’s as I guide them through difficult moments.

This journey has been a conscious one.

Willed. Learned. Practiced.

Hard-earned. But oh-so worth it.

When you’re in the depths guiding babies and young children, it’s hard to see how much you are progressing.

But you are.

And it’s beautiful.

P.S. I’m learning that community is everything when it comes to doing things differently. Do you have a place you go to feel connected, inspired, and held accountable when making positive changes at home or out in the world? What makes those places feel good?