The Child Who Was Never Quite Complete

The Child Who Was Never Quite Complete

“How can I help my child become the best version of themselves?” Now there’s a question that we hear a lot in modern parenting. On both a direct experience level and a philosophical one that looms over parents collectively. It sounds like a beautiful aspiration. It...
The Line Between Guidance vs Control

The Line Between Guidance vs Control

One of the strangest rabbit holes about modern parenting is how easy it is to confuse devotion with supervision. Some parents spend hours researching schools, monitoring screen time, checking homework portals, planning nutritious meals, and thinking constantly about...
When Stopping Isn’t Defiance

When Stopping Isn’t Defiance

Like many of the scenarios we’ve encountered at Imagine If over the years, “it” rarely happens all at once. A child who used to throw themselves into activities suddenly hesitates before starting. Homework that once felt manageable now ends in tears...
What Our “Normal” Asks of Children

What Our “Normal” Asks of Children

How often do we stop to consider the normality in our usage of the term ‘normal’ in everyday language,  beyond developmental expectations? For example, when a teacher pauses mid-sentence and says, “Let’s try to behave normally.” A parent who lowers their voice in...
The Adult Problem

The Adult Problem

What if we told you that most adult–child conflicts don’t start dramatically? They start on, say, any ordinary day. For example, you might be running late on an already tight morning. You ask your child to put on their shoes. They don’t. You ask again....
Joy as an Educational Outcome

Joy as an Educational Outcome

Joy doesn’t usually make it into conversations about education. We talk about outcomes, and rigour, and readiness. We certainly talk about results. We talk about resilience, grit, focus, and discipline. We even talk about future-proofing children for a world we admit...