When you were little I wasn’t a great mum to you, even though my heart was bursting with love for you. I ignored my instinct and listened to others about the best way to parent you.

Despite reading so many parenting and baby books I didn’t get a manual when I became a mum and you entered into this world, and I screwed up. A lot.

You were 5 years old when I struggled the most with you. I would joke that I wanted to eBay you as I found just being with you to be too hard.

Little did I realise it was because we are so similar, and you were trying to get me to parent you the right way. The right way for both of us. To be the kind of mum I always wanted to be, the one you needed me to be, the one I kept ignoring as I tried to be the “right” mum for everyone else.

Slowly I started to do inner work on myself.

Gradually Shouty Mummy made fewer appearances.

You and I got closer.

It didn’t happen overnight and I’ve had to admit how wrong I’ve been, and...