Parenting Without a Roadmap

Ok... I have a confession to make. I don’t always know what I’m doing. In fact, there are many parenting moments where I have no idea what to do next.

But what I do know is this..navigating the unknown is a leadership skill.

Most of us want certainty. As a parent, you want to know your child is happy, healthy, and capable. That they’ll be able to handle a tricky friendship at school or a post that upsets them on social media. You want to know they’ll succeed... that what you’re doing today will set them up for a good life.

But life doesn’t work like that, does it?

We live with uncertainty every day..big and small. Losing a job. Losing a loved one. A health scare. A financial setback. Even the small things..will the bus be on time? Will it rain? Will this week’s meal plan survive another round of “I don’t like that”?

And we have no way of knowing what’s ahead for our kids. When or where they’ll face their biggest challenges. Whether that test will go well. If the new school friend will stick. What the state of the world will be by the time they’re young adults.

That space of not knowing? That’s vulnerability.

And I’ve been sitting right in the middle of it lately.

My son recently auditioned for a performing arts high school. He loves performing — it lights him up. When he walked out of the audition he beamed, “I nailed it.” And he did. A few weeks later we got the letter: he’d made the shortlist.

We were both thrilled.

Then, a couple of weeks after that... another letter. He didn’t get a place. He was waitlisted.

This school would’ve been a perfect fit. He’s a kinesthetic learner, and it would’ve allowed him to move and express himself all day long. It ticked so many boxes.

And now we’re in the not-knowing. Sitting in that gap. There are other good options. But none that feel as aligned with who he is.

And here I am… in that familiar place of vulnerability. Wondering what’s best. Wanting to honour his spark. Wanting to do the right thing. And knowing there’s no clear answer yet.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing, it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.”
— Brené Brown

In these moments, I come back to two things:
Hope — that what’s meant for him will unfold.
Trust — that we have what we need to handle what comes.

Navigating the unknown isn’t about always knowing what to do. It’s about being willing to sit in that uncertainty... and stay open.

It’s something we’ll be asked to do over and over again as parents. And the more we practice, the more inner strength we build.

What supports you in those times of vulnerability? How do you sit in the not-knowing?

If you’re learning to lead your family through the messy, emotional, and uncertain moments — the ones where there’s no script or clear answer — that’s exactly what the Stressed to Best Parent Method is designed to support. Module 4 is all about building emotional strength, so you can trust yourself in the unknown and model that trust for your child. You’re not failing... you’re just being called into a new kind of leadership. One that brings more calm, connection, and confidence into your home. Come learn how.