Message from the Author

Being a parent is a one of a kind voyage.

 

Parenting shows us a completely new kind of love — the kind we never knew existed until we held a new human being in our arms for the very first time.
It can energize us.
It can bring moments of pure laughter and joy.
It can strengthen us.
It can bring out the best in us — turning ordinary people into better people, and making good people even better.

 

But it’s not all laughter, happiness, and sunshine.
Parenting sometimes also makes us feel frustrated, helpless, confused — even hurt or scared.

 

If there’s one thing about it, it’s that it’s never boring. Parenting is a rollercoaster of new experiences, a rainbow of emotions, and a mix of sleepless nights and the greatest joys in life.

 

It is also our greatest opportunity to help create a kinder, better, more beautiful tomorrow for the generations to come.

 

However, there is one thing about parenting — it doesn’t come with clear instructions.
With every new gadget we buy, we get an instruction manual — except for the most complex task in our lives.
When it comes to raising a brand-new little human being, no manual is included.
It simply happens — this small person arrives in our lives — and then it’s up to us to figure it out.

So we search for answers. We read books, scroll through expert advice, listen to podcasts, and look for miracle formulas — trying to discover how to raise a human who will one day walk out into the world equipped with love, courage, independence, and virtue, and make us pause and think, “We did it well.”

But quite often, all those well-meaning suggestions only make us feel even more confused and uncertain.

 

What helped me most in my own parenting role weren’t miracle parenting recipes or developmental psychology theories — even though I’ve read my fair share of them. Much of it was useful, of course. But in reality, what helped me most was combining it all with the stories and experience of different parents, and then seasoning everything with some common sense and a grain of salt.

 

That’s why I started the Aparenttly project — not to offer miracle answers, but to share reflections that might help other parents on their own parenting journey.
And to occasionally remind them that perfect parenting is nothing but a myth — one often kept alive by those that profit from parents’ worries and insecurities.
Because what our children truly need from us isn’t the pursuit of unattainable perfection or the guilt and inadequacy it brings, but rather our love, support, encouragement, and the daily commitment to being as good as we can be — on this wonderfully imperfect parenting journey.

And that’s why the motto at the heart of Aparenttly is: honesty over formulas, individuality over perfection.

 

I wish you a beautiful parenting journey.

Kristijan Musek Lešnik