"I'm a gentle parent - I don't force my five-year-old to say sorry"
Kelly Medina Enos, 34, a certified gentle parenting coach from York, shares her approach to parenting, which emphasizes empathy and understanding over forceful discipline. She stopped making her five-year-old son, George, apologize, believing it to be disingenuous. Instead, she teaches him to reflect on situations and communicate his feelings. Kelly, who adopted gentle parenting after struggling with George’s behavior at 18 months, now avoids forced isolation, opting for a “calm down corner” instead. She also uses baby sign language with her daughter, Ariella, to help her communicate. Kelly believes gentle parenting is about seeking connection, setting boundaries, and teaching children to process emotions without shame.
