Repair as Daily Work: Parenting from the Heart
There was a time in my life when I thought recovery meant staying sober, checking the boxes, doing the steps, and proving I was “better.” I believed that if I worked hard enough on the outside, everything else would fall into place.
But it was not until I began to heal the unhealed child within me that I understood what true repair looks like and how deeply it transforms the way we parent, love, and connect.
Janice Dowd, a social worker and mom in recovery, joined me for a powerful conversation about parenting from the heart. Together, we explored how healing the inner child allows us to become a safe space not only for our children but also for ourselves.
You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have
Janice shared something that stayed with me:
“I couldn’t give to my kids what I didn’t have myself.”
That truth sank deep.
I realized how often I had tried to teach my children confidence and self-love before truly embodying them myself. I could only guide them as far as I had learned to go.
When we begin to notice our triggers, fears, and old stories, we stop parenting from those wounds and start parenting from awareness. Our children do not need us to be perfect. They need us to be present, willing to do the same work we ask of them: to pause, breathe, and repair.
Repair Is Daily Work
Healing is not an overnight revelation. It is the slow, steady practice of noticing when we have disconnected and choosing to return.
Janice calls this daily repair. It happens in small, ordinary moments: the apology after losing patience, the deep breath before reacting, the willingness to start again.
Some days, repair looks like quiet reflection. Other days, it looks like holding your child and saying, “I love you. I am here.”
This is what heart-centered parenting looks like in real time. It is human, imperfect, and rooted in love.
Home Is Within You
There was a time when I felt completely lost, caught in fear, shame, and self-blame. During one of my lowest moments, I sat on the floor, placed my hand on my heart, and repeated these words:
“Home is within you.”
That simple phrase became my anchor.
As I breathed through the chaos, I began to feel a spark of calm, a reminder that safety does not come from circumstances but from presence. Each time I chose stillness over self-judgment, I built another brick in that inner home.
Letting Go of Control
As parents, we often carry the belief that our children’s happiness defines our worth. Janice reminded me that each child has their own soul journey and that our role is to offer love, not control.
When we let go of the idea that we must fix or perfect everything, we create room for authenticity and trust. Our children learn that it is safe to be real, to make mistakes, and to grow alongside us.
The Practice of Stillness
Stillness is where I return to hear the truth.
It does not require hours of meditation or ideal conditions. Sometimes it is one minute of deep breathing or a quiet moment in the car before walking inside.
In that pause, I remind myself: I am not my past. I am not my thoughts. I am not my mistakes.
I am a mother learning, growing, and healing in real time.
Reflection for You
If this message resonates, take a gentle pause today.
Place your hand on your heart and ask yourself:
What part of me still needs love and reassurance?
Where can I offer repair instead of perfection?
How can I create safety within myself today?
Then breathe. Feel your feet on the ground. Remember that home has always been within you.
Listen to the Episode
🎧 Hear my full conversation with Janice Dowd on the Home Is Within You podcast:
“From Personal Recovery to Heart-Centered Parenting.”
Together we explore how healing the inner child transforms recovery, relationships, and parenting into daily acts of love and self-compassion.
Visit nadia-davis.com/podcast or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.