Dear Parents,

Imagine the type of parent you could become if your interactions with your child were based on knowledge rather than impulse or cultural programming.

Consider this scenario: You give your child an instruction. They hear you and understand you, yet they fail to carry out the task. You then catch yourself repeating the directive over and over again. I know you can relate to this.

It is important to recognize that this is not rebellion; it is development. Your child is not necessarily being defiant; your instructions are simply being processed. Instructions work through repetition, not instant obedience.

Each time you repeat a value, a rule, or an expectation, you are strengthening neural pathways in your child’s brain. As you likely know, the prefrontal cortex is still underdeveloped in children.

Think of this process like watering a seed underground. You do not see growth immediately, but something is happening beneath the surface. Learning is not linear, growth is not loud, and character is built slowly and quietly. Most of the time, your child is still learning how to regulate their impulses, emotions, and actions.

Your patience is not permissiveness. Your consistency is not wasted. Your daily instructions are not falling on deaf ears. Instead, they are settling in, forming patterns, and shaping who your child is becoming.

So, keep teaching, keep modeling, and keep correcting with calm. Because one day—often suddenly—you will see it: the instruction that appeared to be ignored will show up as wisdom, self-control, and good judgment. You will realize then that it was working all along, deep down.

You are not failing. Nothing is wrong with your child.

Relax and take a breath. Development takes time, and you are doing better than you think.

Meditate on this!