Enabled Children or Empowered Children? A Message to Parents Navigating It All
I remember standing in my kitchen, exhausted, a baby on my hip and a toddler crying at my feet because I’d cut the banana the wrong way. I was juggling part-time work & full-time university, never-ending washing piles, a house that looked like it had exploded, and a body I barely recognised anymore.
There was love—so much love—but there was also overwhelm.
Like many parents, I was doing everything. Packing bags. Tying shoelaces. Cleaning up toys. Solving every problem. Fixing every mistake before it could even happen. I thought I was being a good mum—present, organised, loving. But somewhere deep down, something didn’t feel right. My kids were becoming more dependent on me, not less. I couldn’t even go to the toilet without someone needing me.
And I started to realise... I wasn’t helping them. I was enabling them.
What Does It Mean to Enable a Child?
When we enable our children, we step in before they’ve had the chance to try. We remove every obstacle, smooth out every challenge, and solve every little struggle. We think we’re protecting them—but we’re actually taking away something vital: the opportunity to learn, to problem-solve, and to build resilience.
At Wild Gully, we see it often. Children who are so used to adults doing things for them that they don’t know how to put on their own shoes, ask for help, manage a conflict, or even choose how to spend their playtime. Not because they aren’t capable—but because they haven’t had the chance.
From Micromanaging to Mastery
Micromanaging every part of our children’s lives feels like love—and it is—but it’s love tangled up with fear. What if they fail? What if they fall? What if they get hurt?
But when we remove all the risk, we also remove the growth.
Empowered children are confident, capable, and creative. They can make decisions, take responsibility, and figure things out. They don’t need us to hover—they need us to believe in them enough to let go a little.
That’s what we do at Wild Gully. We create a space where children are trusted. Where they climb, run, explore, problem-solve, and make decisions. They learn to tie knots, manage risks, build fires, and collaborate. And they thrive.
Real Life Skills Start in Childhood
Life isn’t always tidy, so why should childhood be? When we allow children to get messy—literally and figuratively—they build real-world resilience. They learn that mud washes off, failure is part of learning, and confidence comes from doing hard things.
We’ve worked with hundreds of children who were once hesitant, unsure, or completely reliant on adults. And we've seen the transformation—when they’re given the space, support, and time to figure things out, they rise to the occasion.
From One Parent to Another...
If you’re in the thick of it—juggling motherhood, work, guilt, finances, and fatigue—I see you. I was you.
And I want to gently remind you that you don’t have to do it all. In fact, you shouldn’t.
Your child doesn’t need a perfect parent. They need chances—to try, to fail, to succeed, to stumble, to rise. And you need the space to breathe, trust, and watch the magic happen when they’re truly empowered.
Let Wild Gully Support You
At Wild Gully Therapy & Nature Play, we don’t just offer nature play—we offer a philosophy. A way of seeing children as capable, not fragile. A place where they can lead, explore, and grow. Where your child can learn real-life skills while you take a step back and smile as they flourish.
Ready to see your child become more confident, capable, and independent?
Join one of our weekly sessions or check out our new term packages—designed to build resilience, spark curiosity, and support families just like yours.
👉 View Sessions & Book Your Spot
You don’t need to do more.
You just need to let go—just a little.
We’ll help guide the rest.
Wild Gully Therapy & Nature Play
Helping families raise confident kids, naturally.
