This Sunday has that familiar feeling of time passing quietly. Not in a way that alarms you, but in a way that makes you pause. You look at your children and realize they’re not who they were even a year ago. They’ve changed in small but unmistakable ways. Their opinions are stronger. Their independence shows up more often. Their need for you looks different now.
And somewhere in that noticing, you realize something else has been happening too.
You’ve been growing right alongside them.
When You Notice the Shift in How They Need You
There’s a moment that comes unexpectedly. You reach for the role you’ve always played, and it doesn’t quite fit the same way anymore. They don’t need constant guidance. They don’t need every answer. Sometimes, they just need you to listen.
That shift can feel bittersweet.
You miss the version of parenting where you were needed in obvious ways. Where your presence solved things. Where comfort was enough. But at the same time, there’s a quiet pride in seeing them step into themselves, even when it reminds you that time doesn’t slow down for anyone.
Growing As a Parent Without Losing Yourself
While your children are growing into who they are, you’re also becoming someone new. Not the version of you that was just trying to survive. Not the version constantly reacting to the demands of the day.
You’re more aware now. More grounded. Less rushed to fix everything. You’ve learned when to step in and when to step back, when to speak and when silence is actually more supportive.
And maybe you didn’t realize it at first, but that’s growth too.
You didn’t just raise children. You learned how to trust yourself in the process.
Letting Go of the Guilt That Comes With Change
There’s often guilt wrapped around this stage of parenting. Guilt for wanting space. Guilt for enjoying quiet. Guilt for having parts of your life that don’t revolve entirely around your children anymore.
But growth was always part of the plan, for all of you.
You’re allowed to evolve as they do. You’re allowed to reclaim parts of yourself without feeling like you’re taking something away from them. What you’re actually showing them is how to live a full life, one that adapts as seasons change.
A Sunday Pause
This Sunday, notice what’s shifting without rushing to label it as good or bad.
Notice how your children are becoming more themselves.
Notice how you’re becoming more yourself too.
There’s no loss in that. Just transition.
Growing Together, Differently
As the day winds down, remind yourself of this: you’re not being left behind as your children grow. You’re walking alongside them, just in a different way now.
You’re learning how to be present without holding on too tightly. How to love without controlling. How to grow without guilt.
And that’s not something to fear.
It’s something to honor.
If you are in the season to reclaim parts of yourself, download the FREE 7-day Back to Me Reset Guide for support. You will receive a pdf guide and daily emails to support your journey.