Have you ever given in to the kids because you can’t stand the pleading, you’re sick of the bickering, you’re worn down by the whining, or you’re just plain worn down? Have you ever said “Yes”  to something you thought should be a “No” because it took too much energy to fight? Well, take heart. You can boost your parenting know-how for any occasion, including ones like these!

The trick is to turn to inner wisdom for parenting advice. I am not suggesting that you stop reading the how-to-parent books, including “Soul Mother’s Wisdom” (available in March.) I am suggesting that combining parenting knowledge with intuitive knowing gives parenting a boost.

To locate your inner wisdom all you have to do is become quiet, listen–and trust what your intuition tells you. However, you must be able to sort out wisdom from the grumpiness and tiredness of stress. Getting a clear channel to “hear” your wisdom works best if you become aware of your emotions, your stress level, and the negative things you might be telling yourself.

Try this: take a breath. If the kids are safe, you might leave the room for a minute. Take another breath and mentally review each choice of action. Get a sense of the “rightness” of each choice. This takes practice, and a few minutes, but when you clear out the flotsam of   negativity that rolls by, you can get a clearer sense of what is right.

If you feel torn by more than one option, stay with the process:  Breathe, notice your thinking, get the negatives out of the way, and trust what comes to you. The tricky part is trusting your inner wisdom even when your outer Self is cranky, fearful, angry, tired, frustrated, or lonely.

When you recognize what is tricky,  you will be less able to be “tricked” by your stress into making decisions you do not believe in. Eventually you will have more confidence in your parenting. You will be saying “Yes,” when you believe it; saying “No” when it is right; and trusting that you can handle the parenting challenges that arise in your life.