The Belief That Shaped My Motherhood

Growing up, I often heard people say that whatever children do wrong is a reflection of their mother’s upbringing. That belief stayed with me for years.

When I became a mother, I carried that fear with me. I constantly worried that every mistake my children made would be seen as my failure. Out of that fear, I became overprotective and, at times, strict.

But there is an important difference between being strict and being abusive. My strictness came from a place of love, responsibility, and a deep desire to protect my children, not to control, belittle, or harm them. Looking back, I realise that fear was guiding many of my parenting decisions. I was trying to shield my children from pain while also protecting them from the judgment of the world.

Parenting from fear and parenting from love can sometimes look similar on the surface, but their intentions, and their impact are very different.