The ongoing cycle of workshops within the “Support, NOT perfection” program continues today, with the help of our partners – Generali Osiguranje Serbia and The Human Safety Net. We are sharing with you Jelena Lukic’s heartfelt story. All stories are in their original form, written with a pure heart and tons of love.
The first thing I thought of when I heard about this program was—is it possible that someone wants to voluntarily dedicate time and attention to a bunch of ordinary, tired parents, feed them with tasty croissants and strudels and give them coffee and lemonade after a hard day at work? And to also watch their kids and entertain them, while someone else is listening to the parents, caring for them and making them laugh, asking them what troubles them. All that completely free, here in Serbia? Apparently, yes.
What an amazing gesture of kindness and philanthropy of our hosts from the Foundation – we felt like we were in their living room all this time, chatting over coffee about the children’s tantrums or jealousy between brothers and sisters, our childhood and parenting models – sometimes with tears, sometimes with laughter. And yes – with encouragement from our wonderful facilitator Nata and her approach full of care and love, coziness and honest interest, we learned a lot about where we make mistakes as parents, how we could be better, rested, more patient, how to motivate ourselves and the child to overcome everyday challenges. We met many moms and dads who are more or less like us. We cried and laughed together, shared our stories and experiences. We had a feeling that someone really understood us. Some type of group therapy and a safe place for all of us with different experiences and stories.