I recommend this book because honestly I’m tired of reading parenting books.
I feel like so many of our knowledge sources focus on managing children, when the real work is learning to manage ourselves. Again and again, I find the best thing I can do as a parent is check in with myself. My Big Self. My kids don’t need me to be like anyone else, even if it’s an expert. They can smell a fake. They need me to be the best version of me. Me.
What I love about The Yamas & Niyamas is that it shifts the question from “Is this right or wrong?” to “Will this create more peace?” Practices like ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), santosha (contentment), and tapas (discipline) aren’t about perfection, they’re practices of awareness. They remind me that these qualities aren’t innate; they’re built through practice, and when we fall off, we can always begin again.
In the messy moments, when my child is melting down and I can’t remember the perfect parenting script, I return to one question: what will bring more peace right now?
That’s what these teachings offer me: a foundation. A way to steady myself in the chaos.
More than anything, I want my children to see a mother who is human, both fiery and soft, ambitious and self-aware, imperfect but willing to repair. Because the greatest influence in their lives won’t be whether I “got it right” every time. It will be how I lived.
Do they see me apologize, show gratitude, laugh easily, care for others, and care for myself?
To me, that’s the real work of parenting.
SOME HELPFUL HINTS FOR OUR YEAR!
What do I pack for Lunch and Snack?
Fresh and Whole Food Snacks
Apple or banana slices paired with sunflower seed butter (sunflower butter is a great alternative, and you can make it at home)
Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, tomatoes or bell pepper strips with some hummus
Little Land Stewards Nature Based Childcare 