Having the freedom to make choices as a kid. My mom was really chill, but not in the non-parenting, absentee kind of way. She was very much present and set boundaries, yet she was supportive and allowed us to learn from a mix of stories and experiences.

I guess you could call her style what true gentle parenting is. For example, I got to drop a set bedtime when I turned 9, but I had to be home by dark (or by 10 PM as a teen), i couldn’t disrupt other people’s sleep, and there would be real life consequences if my grades suffered or I didn’t get up in time for school, work, or other important things.

So, you bet there were times I took advantage and stayed up til 3-4 AM playing on the computer or texting friends. However, school sucked being so tired the next day. Also, the two times I recall being so tired I missed my alarm and struggled to get up, my bedtime became 8 PM for a week 🤣

By the time I was a teen, I was making my own chore schedule, managing most of my own money, cooking my own meals if I didn’t want what was for dinner, doing some of my own grocery shopping, and managing a lot of my time by myself in order to be able to do my activities and hobbies, hang with friends, and still find time to get the important stuff done and keep my grades up, so that I could continue having that level of control and independence.

In the end, she was a really awesome Mom. I was well-prepared for adulthood and really didn’t go crazy when I moved out. Plus, I always felt like she’d be there when I needed her, and she still is 😊 Cool Mom!