There was a mom today, flustered, embarrassed, the last one to come in after we had already started. I asked her how old her little one was and she said she had a 20 month old and a 2 month old and in a room full of mamas (and daddy), we applauded her just for showing up.
And when a mama asked if it was normal to get overwhelmed and frustrated, I asked everyone in the room if they’ve ever had a mama moment where they were overwhelmed and frustrated and just wanted to sit and cry or yell or both and we all (me definitely included) raised, waved, stood up with her.
Even the beautiful amazing awesome Kidxy girls with no kids outside of the glass doors stood in solidarity with the mamas saying HELL YEAH ME TOO!
(Thank you sweet Kidxy girls)
Whenever I try to measure what success looks like at the end of each workshop it isn’t about the numbers but just, did I make a connection today? Did they feel heard and valued? Did they walk away pumped and confident and that their little was enough?
But the best feeling is when strangers stand up for each other and when one mama vulnerably tells another mama, “me too”. I got you. We got this.
I tell everyone, so much of what I teach is both big picture common sense and a reminder to do the hard heart work. You can google it all and there are a hundred variations of what I teach and people that can teach it because Respectful Parenting is really truly both so easy and so hard.
But the true gift of a workshop is just weaving together experience and hope. Walking away equipped and empowered. Confident and calm. Excited and refueled.
If you came today or if you’ve ever come to a workshop or talk, thank you for the privilege and honor. I always share how I learned that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of moments like this. When you see the aha moments, when you share the intimate and the hard, when you watch mamas come in flustered and tired and walk out smiling and confident.
That’s the magic.
That’s the why.
That’s the RACHEAL Method in all it’s glory and crazy. ❤️
What do you think?
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Racheal Kwacz is a Child and Family Development Specialist, mama tribe advocate and writer. As creator of the ‘RACHEAL Method’, she combines her 20+ years experience working with children in the USA and in Asia with the foundations of ‘Respectful Parenting’, leading parents and teachers around the world in raising kind, confident, compassionate, resilient little ones.
To learn more, connect with her on her website or follow her on social media @rachealkwacz!
