“The nurturing we receive in the first few years of life has a big influence on our mental and physical health. It shapes our own ability to be nurturers, our capacity for empathy in the way we relate to each other, other life form, and our planet. Why does nurturance get so little air time?” says the father.

“Oh Dad “,  says the daughter;  “the word itself is so gawky.  And what does it actually mean? But more important, every mum will think of a thousand times they did or felt or thought the wrong thing, another thousand times when they didn’t have a clue. I was at a friend’s house the other weekend and we as mum’s were talking the hard sides of mothering – those moments (sometimes extended) of loss of control. Nobody tells you that that is going to happen. Parenting books and theories make it sound as if all that can be simply ironed out. So there is always a background fear that ‘I am not good enough’ as a parent (friend, partner, person. . .), that my job will produce a little Hitler, or more simply someone who has trouble loving/respecting me (and themselves and others) when they grow up. Narcissistic! It’s just so painful. As if we don’t get blamed enough eh?”