They aren’t spoiled

 They aren’t spoiled.

They just know what it feels like to be safe.

To be held without question.
To be heard without being told they’re “too much.”
To be comforted instead of corrected.

They melt down with me because they trust I won’t walk away.
They ask for one more hug because they know I’ll give it.
They cry freely because my arms have always been a soft place to land.

This isn’t spoiling.
This is healing.
This is showing them that love doesn’t have to be earned through silence or perfection.

I’m not raising them to survive the world by shutting down.
I’m raising them to move through it knowing they are worthy of love and gentleness.

I am their safe space.
And that will always be something to be proud of.