Why “Normal” Isn’t Always Healthy

(Body-Wise Parenting asks deeper questions)

Just because something is normal…

doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

It’s normal for kids to be told “you’re fine” when they cry.

It’s normal to be praised for staying quiet, sitting still, or pleasing adults.

It’s normal to be rushed through emotions and regulated by consequences.

But let’s be honest—

“Normal” has often meant convenient.

Palatable.

Controllable.

Not nourishing.

Not safe.

Not whole.

Body-wise parenting invites us to pause and question:

What if the things we’ve labeled “normal”

are actually a mismatch for the human nervous system?

What if being sensitive isn’t a problem—

but a sign of attunement?

What if wild play, messy feelings, and boundless curiosity

are not behaviors to correct—

but invitations to connect?

We weren’t meant to raise quiet, obedient robots.

We’re here to raise whole humans.

Humans who know what they feel.

Humans who trust their “no.”

Humans who don’t confuse silence for safety.

So when your child is melting down, zoning out, or bouncing off the walls—

it may not be abnormal behavior.

It may be normal for their nervous system.

It may even be the most intelligent thing their body can do in that moment.

Instead of asking,

“How do I get my child back to normal?”

Try asking,

“What do they need to feel safe, seen, and supported?”

Because normal isn’t the goal.

Wholeness is.

And that begins with listening—

to the body, to the heart, to the story underneath the surface.