Well... we're all learning daily and teachers come in all shapes and sizes. I've always told my daughter that, as she's also the eldest, she's the one who's taught me how to be a Mum and, one of the downsides to being the eldest is that she grows up dealing with any mistakes,.... and we both learn from them.
We have a great relationship.
I'm not saying it hasn't been difficult, she's gone through all the usual 'phases' of hating me now and then. I've also felt great guilt on occasion, when I have felt that I should have done better somehow.... that I have let her down.
As horrible as this is, I've also learnt that I contribute to the problem with my own guilt.
From early childhood I've been aware how she's been receptive to my every thought process, conveyed by scent, tone etc. The range of feelings associated with guilt are naturally understood but could lead to confusion and accusation. It's perfectly natural for a child to respond, to a 'trusted' adults guilt with fear and questions. In this way they're able to select associations by response and understand, through this challenging experience, how to recognise trustworthy body language.
Highly charged emotional interaction demanding justification is also important in social exchange situations outside the safety of the home environment. It's fundamental in terms of assessing how best and when to employ survival techniques. Our bodies are equipped to be flexible and our brains are too. So that these two maybe experienced in appropriate responses necessary (potentially) in any stage of their life requires practise in recognition, knowing what primary indications offer informationally.
This effectively explains the whole phase of puberty, more or less.
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