Almost 80 years young my mom, affectionately known as Guggy, Mama bear or Mommasita in our family has been and continues to be a pivotal figure in all of her children's lives. As children we all feel a sense of belonging and the love that this woman exudes is the stuff of a legend. All of her children and grandchildren children will tell you that just the sound of her voice or the shortest of hugs from her can help you get calm, feel grounded, and stay strong.  

Her focus on our education was just as powerful. There was a constant message of “School is your job!” that permeated our home. She made school our responsibility, our work was something we had to get done and take ownership of and even when we failed she never, or rarely, would step in to offer solutions. Instead, she gave us space to figure things out on our own. Instead of giving specific advice, she gave us and continues to give us a safe and soft place to land.  

Coming from a modest background as one of five children born to a German family living in an agricultural area outside of Runciman, Saskatchewan, my mother worked extremely hard to contribute on the farm and then traveled and studied to become a nurse in metropolitan Vancouver. My mother's influence on my education, while not in the form of nagging or micromanaging, has been significant – almost immeasurable and today I can't wait to share some of those experiences alongside her wise insights on how to support more ownership and responsibility when raising children.