Let them go
om family
Concious Parenting
om family
If you love them, set them
free: preparing your children
to fly out and into the world
Y
ogi Bhajan, a modern master of
Kundalini Yoga, used this list of
things to do for your children
to advise parents:n Love them
n Build their self-esteem
n Challenge them
n Listen to them
n Expect respect
n Create boundaries
n Bring spirituality into their lives
n Develop a love of learning
n Help them to be community minded
n Let them goI want to explore the last and most
challenging one: let them go.
We imagine that we only cross the letting-
go bridge when teenagers are ready to leave
the comfort of the family nest. We spend years
preparing them to be independent, responsible
and brave, so that when the time comes, we
can let them go in trust that all will be okay.
I have learnt that letting go starts much
earlier in a child’s life. A challenge for many
parents is the start of kindergarten years.
As a Montessori teacher having worked in
various countries, I have supported many
parents through this period. I have had
to peel parents off concrete pillars wherethey have silently hidden from their chicks,
not quite having the courage to leave
the building. “Let them go”, I say, “I will
reassure them that you’re coming back.” I
have made sweet tea for a desperate mum
five days in a row, who just couldn’t walk
away. Offering gentle validation: “You are a
wonderful mother and I promise to call if he
shows signs of distress.” The child, already
surrounded by new friends, was happily
pouring sand over a little girl’s head.
Whether we are dropping them off to
kindergarten, university, or the airport,
letting go can be hard. However, there are
many benefits of being able to do this, and