Parenting a PDA child is radically different.

It’s not just "gentle parenting" or "positive reinforcement."
It’s throwing out everything you thought you knew.
It’s unlearning the systems you were raised in.
It’s meeting your child in their world, on their terms—with radical compassion and creativity. Every. Single. Day.

And that kind of parenting?

It often stirs something deep.

Because for many of us… we weren’t parented this way.
We didn’t receive radical, unconditional love.
We were shaped by control, fear, compliance, or invisibility.

So when we begin to show up for our PDA kids with softness, flexibility, and trust…
It can feel wrong.
It can feel unnatural.
It can even trigger grief.

Grief for the child we were.
Grief for what we didn’t get.
Grief for how hard it is to rewire our instincts.

This journey asks so much of us.
It asks us to become cycle-breakers, even while we’re still healing ourselves.

But you’re not alone.
And you’re not doing it wrong just because it feels unfamiliar.

You are building a new path—one that honors your child and the child you once were.
That’s brave.
That’s radical.
That’s love.

(Written by Jennifer Renee, art by No Pressure PDA)