We're Only Human!! Confessions of a Parenting Expert

We were very fortunate to have Julie Lythcott-Haims as our Guest Expert this month for SYT Learn. In her talk entitled “Confessions of a Parenting Expert” she set the stage for a real and raw conversation by sharing with a smile that she is “not actually a parenting expert”. Julie has quite the roster of experiences - she has practiced law, been a University Dean and is a New York Times bestselling author, however her goal during this talk was to share stories of her own parenting journey as well as to provide an opportunity for people to have some real discussions about how life is going right now during the pandemic. 

Julie detailed five “confessions”, which were honest and transparent stories of life parenting her own two children at different stages of their lives, while also being parented at the same time by her own mother. She chronicalled some of the “over-parenting” mistakes she has seen, and some of the learnings she has uncovered as a parent herself. 

Julie stated that she “believes in humans” which was a beautiful representation of what this live call was all about. Julie has a passion and enthusiasm for the importance of relating, connecting and paying attention. The talk was a mixture of funny, heartfelt, inspiring, reflective and vulnerable. She provided real-life examples, some great tips and strategies, and samples of questions to ask your kids (asking good questions is key to helping kids to learn, grow and become independent!). 

One of my favourite moments was when she was discussing the importance of standing “shoulder to shoulder” with her kids, helping them to find their own way while still being there to guide and support them. This was a beautiful analogy that demonstrates how to love, teach and honour our kids. 

Being part of this Expert Call was something that I think many of us leaned into and identified with, especially in these unprecedented times. One of the comments that was shared by a participant in the chat summed it up quite well:

“Thank you so much for this conversation. 

It has reached me at just the right time. 

So much integrity and love shared. 

Thank you.” - Cleary

If you would like to watch the replay of this call, it is available in SYT Learn HERE. This is a spot where you can find wonderful resources of past experts and is based on a donation model (because we want everyone to be able to benefit from the positive SHIFTS that can happen when we all learn together!).  

Jill — SYT Team