Emma Bunton Shares Her 10 Parenting Lessons
Embrace All The Emotions
I’m extremely lucky that I loved being pregnant. I loved feeling my children grow, and all the excitement and anticipation before their arrival. Both pregnancies were quite different – purely because I was a bit of a different person with each one. Nothing can quite prepare you for being a mum; it’s amazing and a little bit terrifying wondering what it’s going to be like, as there’s no instruction manual. Plus, with your second, you’re bound to have a toddler to look after too. But in many ways, the distraction and experience you’ve accrued already help, so you’re that little bit more prepared.
Know That You’re Stronger Than You Think You Are
Becoming a mother changed my life in so many ways. The whole process of becoming a parent can be quite overwhelming and your priorities completely shift to making sure your little ones are safe, healthy and happy. People tell you when you’re about to have a baby that they’ll keep you up all night, and you’re going to be exhausted – but you can’t even begin to understand until you’re in it. The good news is you find a lot of resilience in those challenging times and an inner strength you never knew existed. Trust me – you’ve got this.
Learn From Your Children
My children inspire me every day and in a lot of ways, they are my biggest teachers. I love seeing their unique perspective on the world, and I really appreciate their ability to look at things so differently. My children were actually my inspiration for creating my eco brand Kit & Kin, as both of them suffered with eczema and it was so difficult to find natural products that didn’t cause them additional skin irritation. Becoming a parent made me think a lot more about the future, especially my children's futures, so it was important that the products were kind to the planet. Everything we create at Kit & Kin is plant based and made from natural ingredients.
Accept There’s No ‘Right’ Way To Parent
Remember, nobody has a definitive guide to parenting. As parents, all of us are on our own paths and trying to figure this out – I definitely still am. My biggest piece of advice is to find your tribe. I was so fortunate to have my mum, my husband Jade, and a brilliant supportive group of friends who I could always talk to. Becoming a mother is such a bonding experience, and it really makes you appreciate how strong and amazing women are. I reflect on the early days and smile at how much I panicked about the small things, or whether I was doing it all right. I’d always say follow your instincts. Confidence builds with time as you get to know your baby and yourself as a mother.
Balance The Juggle
Juggling a career and family life is something so many of us can relate to. As parents, we’re always busy and it can be quite overwhelming trying to fit everything in. It’s all about finding the right balance that works for you. Work is very important to me, and I love what I do, but we always make sure we prioritise family – especially on the weekends and during the school holidays, when we can just chill out and spend quality time all together. Those are the memories that count the most.
@emmaleebunton
Find Essentials You Can Rely On
I created Kit & Kin because I wanted other parents to have the products I was missing when my children were young. For example – hypoallergenic nappies. Ours are the most accredited eco nappies on the planet. They’re made from plant-based materials and wrapped in recyclable paper packaging, and most importantly, they really work. I'd also recommend this Magic Salve. It was originally designed as a nappy cream, but it also calms, moisturises, and helps clear up irritation anywhere on the body. It’s a miracle worker on dry lips and I always have one in my bag. Finally, I would not have wanted to be without my baby carrier when my kids were young. I loved having them close to me and being able to head outside quickly – fresh air is a must when you haven’t had lots of sleep!
Play To Your Strengths
Jade and I are very much a team – but we definitely play to our different strengths. We each have our own little quirks. Jade is quite meticulous, for example, often cleaning up and tidying away, whereas I like to get stuff done. When we became parents, our home turned into our nest, and we became very protective of it. It’s very important to both Jade and I that our children feel that warm feeling of home when they come back from school. It's their safe haven first and foremost.
Be Open & Honest With Your Kids
As a family we have a very close connection – we talk about everything! I learnt from my mum how important it was to be open and it’s something I try to teach my kids as well. Talking always helps, whether it’s something big or small. I love that we are a very open family. No children are the same, and each one needs a different parenting style. That’s why giving other mums advice is so difficult. You realise as a parent every time that one phase ends and you’ve got the hang of it, another phase starts – so you’re constantly adapting. Plus, just because one child went through something one way doesn’t mean the other one will follow suit in exactly the same way.
Talk To Them About The Big Issues
Most of us are aware that climate change is happening, but there is always more work to be done to raise awareness. Education from a young age is key, both at school and at home, which is why I’ve always made an effort to speak to my kids about how we can help protect our planet and make those small changes. If the young generations can grow up with the knowledge that their decisions and actions do have an impact, then I think there’s a lot of hope for the future. I involve my children with things like recycling at home and I think it’s great to have these habits instilled in them from a young age. I also want them to understand my work at Kit & Kin. Luckily, the kids have always been interested, which helps.
Forget About Finding ‘The Secret’ To Parenting
Here’s the truth: I don’t think there is a secret. As I’ve said, there’s no manual and every child and every family is different. Being happy in yourself as a mother and as a person, setting a good example and creating a loving, open and supportive family environment for your children is a fantastic start. The rest will follow.
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