The intention behind this blog series is to shine a light on different family structures, ways in which both mums & dads, single mums, single dads, homosexual couples all connect with their little ones.
It is about how we do so with simplicity, elaborately or maybe how we don’t do it much at all and how we can work on it. I wanted to also shine a light on how we can also do the same with each other as a couple as well as ourselves as individuals.
Episode Nine:
Meet Beth, a beautiful earth loving mama of one and a half, Beth is passionate about all things to do with the creation of a positive, enriched and conscious world. She is the Creative Director and Founder of Kids Mind Body Spirit and lives in the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.
Name and Age- Beth Johnson, 35
Children/Child/Infants name and age- Dahlia, almost 3 & baby girl in utero, due October
Relationship status- Married 7 years, together 16 years
What do you do?
Mostly I am a full-time mum – around which I try to fit in some creative and entrepreneurial online work. I am the founder of kidsmindbodyspirit.com and the Australian Community Coordinator for the Global Guardian Project; which sees me networking, digital marketing, web designing, writing, hustling… I also have a little design brand and online shop (currently neglected) called Earth + Stars Kids.
How has becoming a parent changed you?
Parenthood has been an amazing opportunity for self healing, especially relating to my own childhood. Even though there are aspects of ‘losing myself’ to motherhood, it has also enabled me to really dig deep to explore my true passions and values. Since I was young I have always felt called to contribute to making the world a better place (if you’ll pardon the cliche), and being a part of raising the next generation has really brought that sense of purpose to the fore.
What do you do to connect with your little ones?
My little girl is fiercely independent and strong-willed but also extremely empathetic and loving. So there are a lot of snuggles and kisses and positive talk. We bed share so that is always a beautiful way to reconnect if the evening tiredness has caused tension. I always aim to balance the inevitable difficult moments (and there are plenty at the moment) with loving reconnection, and open discussion about the hows and whys of the different emotions that surfaced.
How do you create present parenting within your home?
I follow what I would describe as a respectful and intuitive parenting style – a balance of offering choices and freedom, and setting boundaries/limits; not saying no to something just because it might be inconvenient (or messy!) for the adult; teaching bodily autonomy, and avoiding childism. But always accepting the imperfections!
Do you connect with your partner regularly ie. Date night or day? At home or out?
With our current lifestyle and schedules at the moment we just relish a single evening of relaxing on the couch together, watching something not rated G! We have a very occasional dinner out alone but we know it won’t always be like this and for now, much of our connecting is family time – things like gardening, excursions, or brunch at a cafe on a Sunday.
Do you connect with yourself regularly ie. Self care rituals?
I always need a creative outlet, so I usually have some sort of design or craft project on the go. My biggest challenge has been surrendering to the slowness; that I can not act on the million and one ideas floating in my head. When I’m feeling overwhelmed I try to use meditation instead of scrolling aimlessly through social media on my phone. I’m currently suffering from pregnancy insomnia, so often use the time laying in bed to check in with myself.
Any words of wisdom for those that are new to being a parent,ways in which they can connect with their little ones? Ways in which they can find time for themselves and each other?
Conscious parenting is hard work; there are no perfect parents and no perfect children and I think it’s important not to get caught up expecting perfection from other side. It’s all about finding the balance of what works for your child and your family within the concepts of mindful, gentle, respectful, attachment, evidence-based (etc!) parenting. The best way to do this is tapping into, strengthening, and trusting your intuition! It can be so overwhelming in the beginning, especially with so much conflicting information being thrown at you. I didn’t even know what attachment parenting was when I first had my daughter but I just focused on doing what felt right to me. As a flow on from this, it has really helped to connect with other mamas who share similar values – many of these have become beautiful, genuine friendships initially made through online communities.
