Growing up together with our children

Before I became a mother, I probably thought, like many people do, that parenting comes with clear rules. It seemed like all you had to do was know what to do, and everything would be simple. But once I became a mother, I realised parenting is far more complex than that.

There are days when you feel strong and patient. And there are others when you're tired, sleep-deprived, trying to balance work, home, and worries, and still feel guilty that you could have been a better mum or dad.

That's when I understood: boundaries aren't about strictness. They're about love.

And love, we all know how important it is in our lives. Why do they say no one truly understands real love until they hold their own baby in their arms for the first time?

From that moment on we start to feel a real sense of responsibility, and a deep fear that we won't be perfect parents. But you don't need to be perfect, you just need to sense what your child needs.

First steps, first falls, it becomes frightening. And as they grow and their world expands, you realise your job isn't to shield them from everything. Your job is to be there. To listen, to support, and to let them know that home will always be the place where they're received with love. To me, that's the kind of boundary that raises strong, self-assured children.

And my advice, as a psychologist, is this: don't look for perfect parenting. Every parent raises their children differently, and that's normal. Compare yourself to others less, listen to your child and to yourself more. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give a child isn't perfect decisions, but parents who try, who admit their mistakes, and who learn alongside them every day.