R-E-S-P-E-C-T me
Today's guest post explores the creative power of respectful parenting
Good morning/afternoon and welcome back to Creative Parenting Club.
Today on CPC, we’re back with our latest guest essay, this time from
, who writes on Substack about holistic parenting, body awareness and self-care under the handle .Selene reached out to us during the Spring after reading one of our previous guest essays, and we’re excited to share her piece below about the creative power of respectful parenting.
One thing we really appreciated about Selene’s essay: her reminder to be nice to ourselves.
When the going gets tough and we’re not necessarily at our best — either as creative people or parents — it’s one of the most difficult things in the world to remember: and one of the most important.
We hope you enjoy today’s post.
Wherever you’re reading it, here’s another reminder to be kind to yourself and those around you :-)
Respectful parenting and personal growth: The power of knowing yourself
By
,—
Respectful parenting demands we respect not just our children, but also ourselves — a lesson I didn’t fully grasp until my child started showing me the way.
Before I became a parent, I was already on a journey of understanding myself better. But this ‘work’ was far from complete.
When I became a mother, that journey expanded and accelerated in ways I hadn’t imagined. Respectful parenting naturally became part of this path, even though I initially resisted.
My child, however, quickly showed me the direction that was right for both of us, and my growth deepened from there.
Respectful or mindful parenting isn't only about being considerate to your child — it's about respecting yourself and others.
By showing respect to your child, you're reflecting the respect you’ve cultivated for yourself.
But here's the key: to truly offer that respect, you first need to find it within.
Self-awareness: The core of respectful Parenting
To respect yourself and your child, you must understand yourself: your motives, triggers, passions, and beliefs.
As I delved deeper into self-awareness, I found that it directly impacted not only my parenting but every other aspect of my life. The more I understood myself, the better equipped I was to handle the challenges of parenting with patience and mindfulness.
But it wasn’t just my parenting that improved, I noticed that my relationships, creative self-expression, and personal growth also benefited from this deeper self-awareness.
This transformation leads us to parenting methods that are less about control and more about guiding our children to grow into healthy, self-assured individuals.
“We can’t raise our children well without first raising ourselves.”
-Selene, More Than Enough
Conscious parenting and self-growth
Instead of trying to mould our children into a preconceived image, respectful parenting leads us to become more accepting of who they are. This mindset helps us make conscious decisions, leading to a more peaceful home environment.
We realize that we don't need to change who they are, just as we no longer feel the need to change ourselves.
Understanding developmental psychology and related sciences only deepened this perspective for me. It opened the door to making decisions from a place of knowledge and awareness.
Of course, this is easier said than done. I’m fully aware of how difficult it can be several times throughout the day. But every moment becomes an opportunity to pause, reflect, and choose how to respond — whether to our child’s behavior or to our own.
And when mistakes happen, which they inevitably do, we learn not to punish ourselves or our children but to grow from the experience.
Creative fulfillment in motherhood: How I integrate writing into my life
One of the many benefits I’ve found through respectful parenting is that I rediscovered my path to self-expression.
I knew my world had been deeply shaken after becoming a mother, and I instinctively felt the need to be with my daughter.
At the same time, I felt a strong inner calling to express myself. I’d long wanted to share my knowledge and experience in a way that could help others. It took me some time to define how. But through being present and embracing the shifts respectful parenting brought, I was eventually able to manifest that creative calling: through writing my newsletter
.The challenge was (and is) how to integrate this into my life as a stay-at-home mom. I want my daughter to witness me creating from a place of joy. And my everyday life is my biggest source of inspiration.
But inspiration often strikes at odd times.
So my partner and I created a rhythm: Friday mornings and one weekend day are reserved for my writing time. This gives me the space I need, even if creativity doesn't always align with the clock. When it doesn’t, I use Notion on my phone to capture ideas quickly.
Sometimes, respectful conversations with our kids can help carve out more space for creativity. I started writing this post early in bed while my child slept. Later, I asked her if she felt ready to play independently for 30–45 minutes so I could finish. She let me know when she was.
Rest and rejuvenation
I’m immersed in my Substack publication. Progress is slower than I’d like, but I remind myself it’s enough. I believe in a full, integrated life. Rather than individual compartments of work, family, and growth, I believe it’s all deeply connected.
But respectful parenting also means being aware of my energy limits.
When my daughter stopped napping in the afternoons at three years old, it was difficult for me because I no longer had the midday rest I so desperately needed. I accepted her body’s needs but communicated my own clearly.
By allowing myself to rest, I demonstrated mutual respect and showed her that I value my own needs.
What I would say:
"I accept that you don’t need to sleep, but I am very tired today. We can finish playing this game, but then you can choose something to do while I rest or meditate."
I hope this example will serve as a model for her to prioritize her own self care as she grows.
“My child showed me the direction that was right for both of us, and my growth deepened from there.”
-Selene, More Than Enough
Creating a better future, one step at a time
Here are five lessons I’ve learned about respectful parenting through self-growth:
Let go of control and embrace flexibility
Practice empathy in every interaction. Do not forget empathy with yourself!
Understand yourself to improve your relationship with your child
Redefine success as a parent
Create a peaceful, respectful home environment
The personal growth that comes with respectful parenting doesn’t just affect you and your child, it ripples outward, creating better, more aware individuals who can co-create a better future.
By raising children who feel respected and understood, we contribute to building a generation that’s more emotionally intelligent and empathetic.
But on a smaller, more personal scale, this process also transforms our daily lives.
We become more patient, more present, and more attuned to our child’s needs, as well as our own.
Which ultimately creates a more peaceful and fulfilling environment for everyone.
Thanks again to from for this week’s guest post.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more about Selene and her respectful parenting journey at the links below:
A reminder that if you have your own idea for a guest post, you can reach out to us anytime by either replying to one of our newsletters or hitting us with a DM on Substack.
We’ll be back next Friday with our next creative parent interview.
Until then have a nice weekend, and see you next week!
 | A guest post by
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Love what you said about pulling back from control and guiding our kids on the path to being who they are. It’s not always easy in everyday situations when you’re out in the world and you feel the counter pressure that everyone is looking at you to make sure your kids “behave”. But we can all learn a bit from being kinder to ourselves in those moments and therefore kinder to our kids. Thank you Selene for your inspiration!
Kudos to you for taking this challenging yet fulfilling journey- in both conscious parenting and also expressing yourself in your writing/creative pursuits. All the best!!