How to Feel Like a Good Parent: Why You’re Already Enough

Written By Catherine Wasley

There’s a quiet message running beneath so much of modern parenting advice, especially in the early years.

It tells us we need to do more…

Be more patient.

Be more playful.

Be more present.

And while none of that is bad advice on its own, it can become another thing to get right - another standard we hold ourselves against.

But what if you’re already doing more than enough?

What if being a good parent isn’t about doing more, but trusting more - especially yourself?

You Don’t Need to Earn Your Place as a Parent

Mum holding her sleeping newborn baby up against her chest

From the very first moment, you became the expert on your child.

Not because you followed a parenting book or nailed a gentle routine but because you know them.

You are their safe place. Their anchor. The person whose face they seek in a noisy room.

Yes, you’ll make mistakes. You’ll feel overwhelmed. You’ll wonder if you’re “doing parenting right” (you are).

That’s real parenting in the early years.

What your child needs isn’t perfect.

They just need you - present, responsive, and real.

The “Good Parent” Myth is Exhausting - and Unhelpful

Mum holding her toddler up close - face to face - both laughing

Let’s be honest: “how to be a good parent” is one of the most-Googled parenting questions out there.

But the phrase itself? It’s loaded.

It usually conjures up an unrealistic picture: the calm, never-snapping, playdough-creating, screen-limiting parent who does everything “right.”

That version doesn’t exist.

And chasing it only leads to self-doubt and guilt.

Here’s the truth: positive parenting doesn’t mean perfect parenting.

It means showing up with love, awareness, and the willingness to keep learning - even when it’s messy.

Your Child Doesn’t Need a Better You - Just a Real You

Mum up alongside her toddler standing up against a low table playing with the toys on the table

This is the heart of trust-based parenting.

Your little one doesn’t need you to constantly self-improve or get it all “right.”

They need you to:

  • Apologise when needed

  • Set boundaries with love

  • Be emotionally available

  • Allow them to be themselves, while being yourself too

You don’t need to earn rest.

You don’t need to justify your parenting choices.

You don’t need to turn motherhood into a performance.You just need to be human. Honest. Messy. Present.

The Truth About Positive Parenting? It Starts With Trust

Mum kneeling on floor holding toddler hands as toddler jumps up and down

Let’s redefine what good parenting in the early years actually looks like.

Forget parenting perfection. These are the things that actually matter:

Trust

Trust-based parenting starts with you. It’s built through consistent, everyday moments - when you soothe, respond, hold, and return. You don’t need a script. You just need presence.

Connection

Real connection doesn’t need crafts or curated activities. It lives in eye contact, laughter, shared glances, and letting them climb on your back during breakfast. It’s simple presence, not performance.

Resilience

Children learn emotional resilience from watching yours. How you recover from hard moments. How you stay soft in the aftermath. How you keep showing up even when you’re running on empty.

Repair

Because ruptures will happen. You’ll yell. They’ll cry. But the magic is in what comes next - those small, powerful moments of repair that say: “Even when it’s hard, we’re okay.”

These things don’t live on parenting checklists.

They grow in the quiet, messy, everyday moments that don’t make it to Instagram.

And if you’re doing that? You’re parenting brilliantly.

Final Thoughts: You Are Enough

Baby being held and wrapped in a beige blanket

You don’t need to overhaul your parenting style.

You don’t need to follow every parenting trend or course.

You just need to believe that your presence - your messy, brilliant, showing-up-on-hard-days presence—is enough.

You are enough.

You are the parent your child needs.

Join the Raising Wild Ones Club - Just 20 Founding Member Spots

Family walking across a field holding hands - two young boys infront, followed by mum and dad holding a baby

Ready for grounded parenting support that’s gentle, real, and actually works in the thick of it?

The Raising Wild Ones Club is now open - with just 20 founding member places available.

This is your space to feel seen, supported, and reminded you’re already enough during those early years - especially on the hard days.

No pressure. No perfection. Just support that meets you where you are.

Founding members get lifetime access to the best rate it will ever be.

Discover more here and nab one of those spots!

Catherine Wasley

Catherine is a certified holistic sleep coach with over 30 years of experience supporting families with children under five. As a mum of four herself, she deeply understands the exhaustion and frustration that can come with sleepless nights.

Combining her extensive knowledge of early childhood development and her empathetic approach, Catherine offers practical, straightforward guidance tailored to each family’s unique values. Her mission is to empower parents to trust their instincts, build confidence, and find solutions that work without pressure or guilt.

Passionate about challenging gender stereotypes in early childhood, Catherine believes every child deserves equal opportunities to thrive.

Outside of her work, Catherine is a keen runner, self-proclaimed coffee addict, and croissant connoisseur. She lives in Gloucestershire with her husband, four children, and their dog, Beau.

https://www.theparentrock.com
Next

The One Thing That Makes Parenting in the Early Years So Much Easier (And Harder When It’s Missing)