Freedom to flourish, Gold Coast (2026)

15/09/2025

These 5 reframes were my go-to mantras whenever my daughter had a tantrum.

Shifting how I think about crying and tantrums helped me respond with more patience and kindness.

When a child has a tantrum, they aren't trying to push our buttons or be difficult.

❌ Crying and raging isn't misbehaviour.

❌ Children don't throw tantrums to manipulate us.

Tears and tantrums are a healthy and normal part of developmental process.

It's a nervous system response to a build up of stress and tension inside the child's body.

⚠️ Tantrums are natural stress-release mechanisms that help children heal from trauma, work through fears, release anger, frustrations, stress and tension from their bodies.

⚠️ They help children feel better by releasing pent up stress and tension so that they can return to their calm, balanced selves again.

One of the biggest mindset shifts we can make in our parenting that has the power to transform our relationship with our children is seeing tears and tantrums as a healthy and necessary part of developmental process.

Would you like more support around understanding and listening to your child's feelings? DM about my 1:1 sessions and monthly messenger mentoring.

Lots of love,

Dace ( Aware Parenting Instructor)

11/09/2025

Two weeks ago I went back to using the good old button phone.

Here's what inspired me to make the switch:

1. Going on a holiday and accidentally leaving my phone at home.

2. My daughter.

3. Restless sleep.

4. Social media wasn't enjoyable anymore+ my screen time was through the roof!

5. This Ted talk: "the Battle for your time: exposing the costs of social media" by Dino Ambrosio.

I feel like I got my life back.
I have more time.
Im less anxious.
I feel more present.
And I sleep better!

Have you ever thought about getting a button phone?
Let me know in the comments
Dace

08/09/2025

This is one of my favourite stories about my daughter's dad. 💚
A story about growth, healing and transformation.✨

A reminder that change is possible.
That parenting differently to how we were parented is possible.
That learning to be comfortable with tears is possible.

I hope it inspires you too! 🙏
Big hugs
Dace

02/09/2025

6 phrases I avoid saying to my daughter

"Good girl"

"Good job"

"You're naughty"

"You have to share"

"What's the magic word"

" Where is please/thank you"

👉I’ve been intentionally working on unlearning these phrases. Many of them are so deeply woven into our language and culture that we rarely stop to consider the impact they might have on our kids.↩️

It’s not just about words. What we say to our kids and how we say it shapes their inner dialogue and the way they see themselves.↩️

Over time, phrases like these can unintentionally teach them that their value depends on our approval, or that politeness is more important than authenticity.

My hope is to help my daughter build an inner voice that is kind, confident, and true to herself.💚

Have you heard any of these phrases growing up?
What else would you add to the list?

Let me know in the comments,

Dace

01/09/2025

If there’s one thing I wish someone had told me when I was a sleep-deprived momma, it’s this: 👇

𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮.
𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜.

Sometimes, babies cry even after all their basic needs have been met.

💧They cry to release stress and emotions.

💧They cry to heal.

Back then, I didn’t understand this.

When my baby woke up every hour, I fed her each time- even when I knew she wasn’t hungry.

I thought I was just feeding on demand, but in reality,
I was unintentionally suppressing her feelings.↩️

Over time breastfeeding became her control pattern-
a way to suppress her feelings.↩️

And because I never let her cry, she had a lot of accumulated feelings. Hence, why she wanted to nurse
all the time!

✅ When I first learned about control patterns, I started paying closer attention to her hunger cues and her behavior during feeding.

✅ I learned to tell the difference between when she was crying because of hunger and when she was crying to release her feelings.

That's when everything shifted...

👉She was no longer stuck on the b**b for hours.

👉She started to sleep through the night.

👉She learned how to release her feelings instead of suppressing them with nursing.

👉Breastfeeding felt enjoyable and connecting again.

❗Are you resenting breastfeeding because your baby
wants to be nursed all the time?

❗Would you like to learn how to tell if your baby is hungry or if they need to release feelings?

I offer 1:1 sessions to help you understand your baby's needs and reclaim the joy of breastfeeding. 💚

Send me a DM to get started 👇

27/08/2025

𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 ( 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤!) 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜?🔁

You know, things like washing hands before eating or brushing teeth at bedtime..or not drawing on the walls 🙀

It's a common frustration among parents, often stemming from expecting children to grasp instructions before they're developmentally ready.

Understanding where they're at developmentally can give us some insight into why they act the way they do.

𝙎𝙚𝙚, 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚.

They don't understand that the same rules which applied yesterday or last week also apply now. And that's because

𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 2 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚

They live in the present, making it challenging for them to understand concepts like 'never' or consistency over time.

You may have to repeat yourself over and over again. You may feel like a broken record at times.
But. It. Will. Change.🌈☀️

Your child will begin to understand simple rules between 18-24 months, however until then you will need to gently guide his behaviour and treat each situation as new.

Big hugs,
Dace ღ

14/08/2025

Our beliefs about children shape everything - and history shows us just how wrong we can be 💔

Most of our beliefs about children weren't consciously chosen - they were inherited from generations before us, passed down without question.

Our beliefs about children matter deeply.
They shape how we see their behavior and how we respond to them.

They can either create more connection and joy OR fuel power struggles and frustration.

Awareness changes everything.

When we rewrite our limiting beliefs and shift our mindset about children, parenting becomes not only easier, but a whole lot more enjoyable!💚

Big hugs,
Dace

12/08/2025

Back when I was a sleep-deprived mom and my 9 months old baby was waking up every hour, I kept feeding her each time she woke- even though I knew she wasn’t hungry.

𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰..

Crying is how babies communicate their needs.
They cry to tell us when they’re hungry, cold, hurt or uncomfortable. And our job is to meet those needs as quickly and lovingly as possible.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯
𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘺...

Sometimes babies keep crying even after all their basic needs have been met.
They're crying to release accumulated stress and feelings.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹.

💚 What our baby needs from us in these moments isn't to distract them from their tears, but to lovingly hold them in our arms, offering words of comfort and reassurance.

💚 Crying in our loving presence helps them release tension from their little bodies and process feelings they can’t yet express in words.

👉 I realized that my baby wasn’t waking up so often because she was hungry, but because she was trying to heal.

AND what she really needed from me wasn’t to stop the crying at all costs, but quite the opposite.

👉 Instead of feeding her every time, I started to hold her in my arms and allow space for her tears.

And I saw the difference it made! Her body softened, she wasn't restless in her sleep anymore and within a week she started sleeping through the night.
And so did I!

If you're a sleep deprived Momma, I'm sending you so much love and compassion. I know how hard it is.
But there is another way of helping your baby sleep better that doesn't involve sleep training or leaving your baby to cry alone.

I offer 1:1 aware parenting sessions to help you understand why your baby wakes frequently and find gentle ways to support their sleep.

Much love,
Dace (Aware Parenting Instructor)

31/07/2025

There are so many benefits of allowing our children to cry in our loving presence.

Crying and raging can help:

💧strengthen the bond with our child

💧heal from trauma

💧 release physical and emotional stress from the body

💧 reduce hyperactivity

💧 prevent discipline problems

💧 lessen physical and emotional pain

💧 increase ability to learn and focus

💧 resolve sleep problems

💧 reduce unpleasant behaviour.

Aside from all these wonderful benefits, allowing our child to cry, rage and express ALL their emotions leads to healthier attachment.

Remember👇

❌Crying and tantrums aren't misbehaviour.

❌They're not something to fix.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙’𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.

If you'd like to learn more about how to listen to feelings with love, acceptance, compassion and empathy, let's chat 👇👇👇

I offer 1:1 aware parenting sessions and monthly mentoring packages to help you solve behaviour problems, sleep issues and learn how to love tears and tantrums.

Much love,

Dace ღ

21/05/2025

𝙄𝙛 𝙬𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.⤵️

In a way, we’re not just reacting to what’s happening in the present moment—we’re also reacting to what happened then.

💚 If we don’t tend to these unresolved emotions, they will continue to return, again and again. Longing to be seen, heard and healed.

💚 The more we allow ourselves to fully feel and heal our past wounds, the more we can show up in our parenting (and life!) from a more centered, grounded, and compassionate place—rather than reacting from those old, painful wounds.

𝘐 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨.

If you'd like more support in your parenting journey, send me a DM or clink the link in the bio to book a clarity session.

Big hugs,

Dace (Aware Parenting Instructor)

Freedom to flourish

15/09/2025

11/09/2025

08/09/2025

02/09/2025

01/09/2025

27/08/2025

14/08/2025

12/08/2025

31/07/2025

21/05/2025

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