Guilt-Free Parenting
A group program with support to clarify your decisions and priorities and feel like a present, calm and happy parent (most of the time)
You know all the recommendations... But how to adapt them to YOUR real life?
Do you feel like...
- Are you overwhelmed with everyday life and don't have the time/energy for what's really important to you: Your children?
- Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed, discouraged, helpless, even desperate as a parent?
- Do you frequently feel guilty about your children?
- Are you never convinced by the decisions you make for your children?
- Do you feel like you no longer know what you like to do for yourself in life, let alone find the time to do things for yourself?
Sometimes there are victories, for a few moments you feel good and you have the feeling that you are doing things right, but it doesn't last...
Wish that feeling was there more often?
Then I'm really glad you landed here because that's exactly what this program is about!
It's possible to feel confident about decisions for your children
- Even though you often feel like you don't know what to do
- Even if you often feel judged, you in your children
It's possible to feel like a good parent (a lot more often)
- Even if you often feel like you haven't done anything with your children during the day
- Even if you're low on energy and your to-do list seems endless
It is possible to live more in alignment with your values
- Even if you feel they are at odds with the people around you
- Even if you don't know what your priorities are anymore
Is this going to happen all the time? Well no.
We are humans, our children too and that's the real life of parents.
Some days you are going to feel overwhelmed, you are going to be tired often of course and even, at times, you are going to want to tear your hair out, drop everything and leave.
But, the goal is that it happens less often! Let's just dream, what if, instead of feeling like this every day, it just happened once a week? Maybe even every two weeks? What if it only happened once a month!
That would be nice, huh?
How do I know?
Because I experienced it too!
During my children's early childhood years, I so often felt overwhelmed, felt like I would never get my head above water, and constantly doubted my skills as a mom.
I've read books and blogs about it on the subject of parenting, discipline, sleep, child psychology, etc.
And I wanted to do it all: co-sleeping, babywearing, breastfeeding, volunteering everywhere, being present with my children as many hours as possible during my days (and my nights let's be honest) while working and being at studies...
It didn't work... I couldn't do the most basic mom jobs anymore, I had no more tolerance or patience for anything, I blamed my children for their behaviors when I was the one who was not able to set the boundaries and support like they needed to be... I cracked!
I took a step back and simplified my life: my commitments and the people around me, I slowly learned to say no, to choose to get involved in what I really loved, which brought positive back in my life, I learned to put myself first (at least a little). I closed my Facebook account and stopped watching the news. Resumed (almost) daily yoga and above all I got back into photography, a longtime hobby that I had neglected. I also did a master's degree in social work on the transition to parenthood which helped me to see things differently and to realize that I was not the only one experiencing this reality.
Thanks to all of this, things got better, and I started to regain control over what I could control, let go of what I couldn't control and find joy in being a parent again and enjoying time with my children.
But I'll be perfectly honest with you, I still slip up! The difference is that it's much less frequent, that I see these moments coming much more quickly, that they invade me less and that I am able to get out of them more easily... but not all the time! Because I am human too, I am not perfect! No one is!
After doing my master's degree in social work on the transition to parenthood, having supported parents in different contexts for almost 15 years and having myself navigated the life of parents with my 3 children for as long, I developed a program to help parents like you:
My answer?
The group program: Guilt-Free Parenting
Guilt-Free Parenting is a 10-week group program for parents who know all the recommendations...
But you find it difficult to adapt them to YOUR real life and YOUR childrenand you're ready to go from feeling guilty, overwhelmed and confused to
- make parenting decisions more easily
- identify your priorities and maintain them
- feel like a present, calm and happy parent (most of the time)
- put perfection aside and no longer seek to meet expectations that do not suit you
- rediscover the pleasure of being with your children on a daily basis
- and even to have some time FOR YOU!
These testimonials are taken from other programs and services offered by Family Moments since this program is in its first edition. They give you an idea of what it is like to take one of my courses or work with me.
“
I really enjoy this course. I have wondered how present I am with my children when I photograph them, and this course confirms to me that it is in fact a parenting tool that can help me be present at the same time as being immersed in my photography. As I read the material, I find myself saying yes to so many things Anouk says.
“
Anouk was a very understanding guide (...). She created a safe space to share our thoughts, feelings and questions. Her calm presence was very soothing, everyone was allowed to participate in their own way/pace. No guilt, no pressure. The exact opposite of what a normal parent's day looks like?. Thank you for that, Anouk.
This program will help you:
These testimonials are taken from other programs and services offered by Family Moments since this program is in its first edition. They give you an idea of what it is like to take one of my courses or work with me.
“
She gives you permission to let go of the idea of perfection and return to why many of us started this process; to authentically document our families and our lives.
Desirea
“
We felt that Anouk was like a friend, we felt connected and we forgot all the worries we had... it was really cool to feel that during a photoshoot.
Being a parent is not easy and sometimes it's a constant challenge! But it can also be so enriching and rewarding!
Nowadays, we have access to all the possible resources on parenting and there is a panoply of currents and approaches derived from positive, democratic, conscious parenting, etc. which aim to help us be better parents but also add pressure to the one we already put on ourselves!
And what about the support (or lack thereof) and the judgment of other parents, those around us and society in general?
It's to see more clearly in all of this and to help parents recognize their strengths and use them that I created Family Moments and the Guilt-Free Parenting program. To clear things up and refocus on ourselves and our children to know how to act as parents, because we are the only real specialists in our children!
