I eventually found there's no magic solution to aid in this season of parenting. It helps to find a community of women going through the same struggles. Prioritizing self-care and spending time connecting with your significant other are also healthy ways of dealing.
I will continue to cheer at each milestone we hit—when he learns to tie his shoes, when he masters how to make breakfast, when he starts to sleep in instead of waking up, begging us to play.
When you've given yourself permission to eat, including all those sweets and treats
that are normally off-limits, they suddenly lose their power over you. And when food doesn't have
power over you, you will have freedom to live a life that isn't bound by what you can and cannot
eat.
My daughter's failure to acquiesce to so-called expert advice heralded the
beginning of a new way of living, for both of us. One that strives to work with her
needs, rather than struggle against them.
All of the elements of "self" came into question: my body had changed.
Relationships were changing. I questioned my place in society, my work, contributions, decisions
and balance.
