Deep within (beyond any labels and philosophies) is your own Inner Truth as a mother. Let it guide you.

Right from the beginning, while pregnant with my daughter, I (Kaya) got pretty obsessed with reading parenting books and I was on multiple email groups (FB wasn't quite a thing then).

I read one book after the other, making healthy, gentle, connected, natural parenting my study and my life.

There wasn't anything inherently wrong with my obsessive parenting studies (and the books and email groups had loads of wisdom and value within them)... except I lost myself in it all.

I lost connection with my own essence and truth in all the many messages of the 'best' or 'right' way to be a conscious parent and raise the next generation on the planet.

I didn't have my Inner Compass (my present moment intuition and my current core values) up front and centre in the driver's seat.

My ego was way in charge and it started to take whole philosophies, theories and dogmas on board and mistake them for my truth.

That got even more messy, the more I learnt and read, as different philosophies I resonated with contradicted each other.

For the first few years as a mum I was so into natural health and natural learning (following on from natural birth). The community of mothers I surrounded myself with put a lot of emphasis on the foods we feed our children (organic, whole foods) and on limiting screen times and creating engaging learning environments.

All those things can be wonderful but I made them my identity and I based my self worth as a mother on 'how well' I was doing them. I remember many times, cringing if friends came over and my children were watching screens or dying of embarrassment inside and trying to work out how to hide it if my child ate something not organic and another mother saw it.

Then, at some point as my children's sense of autonomy grew and I found it harder and harder to control our environment (and I did have a strong value in freedom for my children), I decided to loosen the reigns on myself and my children a little and let go of that identity.

The problem was, my plan was to just looked for another one to replace it with (and that is what I did).

I came across 'Radical Unschooling' (a philosophy that encourages giving children the freedom to choose their own life in all areas).

I moved my voracious study over there and read and learnt all about it.

While it was a struggle for my ego at first (because this new philosophy contradicted so much of the old one), I took this new identity on.

Even though I was passionate about organic foods, I was going to do this 'radical unschooling' thing and let my children eat as much of any food as they liked and watch as many screens as they liked, hoping they would self regulate.

I remember I was at an unschooling conference/camp and it felt good to fit in and belong to a community that was all about freedom and trust and healthy connections with my children. I had been immersing myself in all the workshops and indoctrinating myself with all the beliefs that went along with this identity.

Then one day, towards the end of the conference, it happened to be Halloween and a big trick or treat was organised. My children literally stuffed bags and bags full of all kinds of artificially coloured and flavoured sugar, and then, in quite a frenzy, ate most of them that same day.

My visceral reaction (whole body screaming NOOO!) to this overconsumption of artificial sugarness shook me out of my ego and had me see this crazy pattern I had been living out over and over again.

I had to stop making external philosophies my truth.

I was forgetting that I had a wisdom, an amazingly on point intuition, an internal guidance system and my own wonderfully unique values inside me and they don't fit neatly into any one box and they are the most powerful identity I can possibly draw on as a mother.

In that candy crazed moment I asked myself -
'what if I let go of all the labels and I come back to finding my own truth, in relationship with these beautifully unique children I am blessed to be with?'

That began my journey back into relationship with my intuition (which is actually freaking powerful and strong as a mother) and my journey into embracing my own unique values - that never did fit holus bolus into any one box.

That began my journey into authentically relating my truths, my feelings and needs with my children and working in partnership with them to find our way together.

It didn't happen overnight, but the more I committed myself to tuning in to the intuition that is always inside me, the more my ego settled down and it became far less important to fit into any one parenting paradigm and I became so comfortable with my children and I being our unique selves in any situation which makes parenting so so so so much more enjoyable and easy and it means that I get to co-create the journey and the relationship I have with my children based on what is truly alive within each of us.

That is one of the greatest wishes Lisa and I have for you, to reconnect with your own inner truth and have it be your guide in your parenting journey.

We created the Inner Truth Action Plan as a simple step to come back within, and listen to your truth around any parenting situation... because you do know your answers and they don't ever need to fit into any one neat box... ever!

You can get the Inner Truth Action Plan here- http://bit.ly/2rJskgt