Steadying yourself with a deep breath. It’s one of those things we do again and again as parents. The reason we do it changes of course, but the practice is the same.

When you’ve got a baby, the deep breath helps you muster the energy to hold on in the face of your deep exhaustion and their relentless screaming as they cry out for love, help and support.

When you’ve got a toddler, the deep breath brings the strength you need to calmly face their hurricane of rage head on, as they slowly learn they aren’t the centre of everything.

When you’ve got them in their golden years (4 - 10ish), the deep breath keeps your spring loose despite their boundary pushing that winds you up, as they learn how to navigate the world.

When you’ve got teens, the deep breath gives you the composure to let their ego, stubbornness and righteousness wash over you, as they learn who they are and what matters to them.

Such a simple, yet powerful thing that deep breath.