THE INSTINCTUAL PARENT JOIN OUR FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY

Dr Delsey is the founder of InstinctualParent.com an online community of parents looking to better their relationships with their children. She shares the essence of what it means to be an Instinctual Parent.

Instinctual parenting is about reconnecting with our innate instincts as parents and trusting our intuition to guide us in raising our children. It involves listening to our own needs and values, rather than solely focusing on societal expectations or judgments from others.

In today’s world, we often prioritise external influences over our own instincts. Generations of trauma and conditioning have led us away from our core instincts, leaving us in a constant state of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. We have forgotten the importance of love and connection as fundamental human needs.

True parental instincts are not about letting a child cry endlessly or engaging in physical battles or punishments. These actions stem from societal conditioning. When we act against our true instincts, we often spiral into guilt, shame, and blame afterward.

This conditioning disconnects us from ourselves and contributes to the problems we face in the world today. Parenting is a journey of self-discovery. So let’s prioritise our own needs, values, and boundaries while rekindling our innate parental instincts to provide a nurturing and authentic environment for our children to thrive.