In motherhood, the seasons are messy and mostly unwritten.

One season asks you to hold on tighter; the next asks you to begin letting go. For me, the newborn years demanded presence; the school years demanded structure; and adolescence, I suspect, will demand surrender. Each phase requires new strategies, new resources, and often, a new version of you. The skill set that worked last year doesn’t always carry over to the next. The tactics that helped you survive the baby phase don’t always translate to parenting a fiercely stubborn eight‑year‑old or a suddenly ‘too-cool’ middle schooler.