30/08/2026
My Daily Dose of Jo āļø
For years Iāve said:
āIf my kids are happy, then Iām happy.ā
To me, that always sounded like love. Like that was simply what being a mum meant.
Iāve also always been the kind of person who swoops in; for my kids, my family, my friends, offering support, trying to help, and often feeling like it was my responsibility to make sure everyone around me was okay.
But Jo challenged me on it in a way I hadnāt expected.
She asked me, āWhat happens when theyāre not happy? Does that mean you canāt be happy either?ā
And then came the statement that really got me:
āIf you need your kids to be happy before you can feel happy, then you are making them responsible for your own happiness.ā
I had honestly never looked at it like that.
I certainly didnāt think I was being selfish. And I never considered that I could, without even realising it, be putting a pressure onto my kids that said, āYou need to be alright so Mum can be alright too.ā
Of course, I want my children to be happy. I always will.
But Jo made me realise that their happiness belongs to them, just as mine belongs to me.
So this weekās practical lesson is simple, but if youāre anything like me, it may challenge you more than you expect.
When someone you love is struggling (your partner, children, family or a friend) pay attention to what happens within you.
Do you take their feelings on, too?
Can you still support them, love them, and be there beside them without feeling that you also have to become unhappy?
This is a big one for me. āØ
Love Danette š©µ