548 thoughts on “Parenting Our Children”

1. It is beautiful to give a voice and to include them in what is next for the family, and areas that need more commitment, because quite often they see things very clearly that we don’t see ourselves, and children will call things out providing they are brought up to do so.

2. Thank you Nicole, it’s obvious reading your blog that you are very dedicated parents and that the children are thriving on many levels. It’s wonderful that your children are fed such a healthy diet free of junk food and unhealthy ingredients, it’s a very supportive foundation for little bodies to grow from. At the moment childhood weight issues and obesity are a growing problem, we need to as a society, rethink our diets and return to a more natural way of eating by eliminating junk food and unnecessary ingredients like sugar. To me your family is a shining light for supporting children to thrive with a healthy diet.

3. A beautiful example of parenting children in the same way that you parent yourselves.

4. Indeed commit to that loving connection in one’s self, what a beautiful reflection that is for our children.

5. Let’s face it humanity as it is, needs another way because the current model is not working. Recently I read a news article that said children under six years of age are being prescribed anti-depressants here in the UK. This blog demonstrates the total opposite end of the spectrum to the news article and the children they are reporting on.

   1. Julie I just heard a story of an 8 year old girl that tried to commit suicide by asphyxiation. It’s very disturbing what children are experiencing and it’s a growing trend.

6. To me your way of parenting is an amazing and inspiring example for other families, you would stand out because our norms today seem to be what the majority does instead of living from what we each feel to be true. I also noted your words “that we all have a responsibility to live in a way that is true and considers everyone equally also.” This kind of responsibility is not really spoken of, that each choice we make affects us and then all we come into contact with.

7. It is a blessing to read this blog and know that there is a family that is parenting their children with such pure and deep respect, which is pure Love. I know you are not the only family that parent their children like this, and I know this is a very healthy way of doing it. I don’t understand how can anyone judge this, and I know that this can only be possible from and/or for misinformation. If there is anyone who doubts the love that this and many families live in their homes, I feel they should not judge without knowing just one of them first. The care, joy and love that I have witnessed in those families is worthy to be respected and shared like you do Nicole.

8. What I feel reading this is there is an equality in how we can parent so that we give space to children and adults to be themselves, and to learn to express that in the world.

9. ‘The way we live in our home does not just affect us, but affects everyone around us – both directly and indirectly in the home and outside of our home – and when we step out of our front door we take these choices and our way of life to all of humanity: it is this responsibility we have to consider when we are parenting our children.’ This is a great point, because it teaches responsibility in living openly and transparently and that every choice we make has a ripple effect.

10. It always amazes me that when children are raised like you raise your children, there is worry and investigation and when there are kids being parented with huge amounts of unhealthy sugary foods and the iPad is the baby sitter, there is no complaint at all. We say ‘everyone their way’.

11. When we become attached to how a relationship needs to look, we cut ourselves off from the ever expanding quality and deepening on offer. This attachment is a form of control, because we are holding ourselves back to delay experiencing the greater love that is on offer.

12. I admire and respect that you know from the inside out what works for your family and you are not interested in being influenced by outside opinion to dull what you know from your body brings that joy and vitality.

13. Its beautiful to hear a family that is firmly held, providing the support for your kids to grow (and the parents) to grow. This is quite a feat today, where so often the parenting is left to schools, TV or worse still Social Media for our kids to understand their place. Taking responsibility in an open and equal relationship – yes please.

14. Being willing to heal and address the false beliefs in us, provides the greatest platform for Love to be. Our global family is the perfect opportunity to see the beauty of us loving us. Thank you Nicole and your family for showing the way.

15. We really need to parent ourselves first before we can parent children in a way that truly supports them. As we are custodians of our bodies in this life, responsible to care for them so that divinity can be expressed, so too are we custodians of our children.

    1. Thank you Fiona I really enjoyed reading your comment, particularly about being a custodian for our body and for our children so that our divinity can be expressed.

16. What a great inspiration your family is to others. The fact is that kids don’t need to be wired up on sugar all day – they can eat in a way that nourishes and supports them. it is that simple and I love what you share here about constantly looking at the diet and simply eating what supports the body at that time.

17. It’s disturbing to read that families that raise their children in such a healthy and loving manner are attacked. I have experienced being treated as weird because I do not drink alcohol, even though it’s quite a poisonous substance for the body because drinking is so prolific it’s now considered “the normal” and expected. I have to wonder if filling up our kids with junk food and letting electronic devices parent them is now a new normal. We must truly question where society is heading when we consider anything healthy and loving as weird or cause for attack.

18. Where I am working I see it is the norm for some of the staff to have a take away coffee in one hand as they administer drugs to residents. I feel no-one bats an eye lid except me because it is considered the norm.

    1. People are exhausted, and coffee is a growing industry to meet the demands of people who can’t function well physically without stimulants to prop them up. We as a society are not questioning what’s going on and we should be, it’s not normal to need coffee to get our body to work, in fact it should be sending off alarm bells because such exhaustion can be one step towards more serious illnesses.

19. ‘I know in my heart The Way of The Livingness is the only way, and our family lives, breathes and is True Religion.’ gorgeous Nicole.

20. To be raised not to seek food as a source of comfort is an incredible gift you are giving your children.

    1. It must give the kids an incredible confidence to know they can express how they feel and receive support, and not have to muddle through life without that understanding of themselves and reach for food or other behaviours to cope with inner disturbances. It’s an amazing foundation to set into place for the children.

21. Our children are always a point of reflection… And as we all get older this does not stop… In fact it can sometimes get a little bit more intense ☺… But it is still a reflection.

22. “The way we live in our home does not just affect us, but affects everyone around us – both directly and indirectly in the home and outside of our home – and when we step out of our front door we take these choices and our way of life to all of humanity: it is this responsibility we have to consider when we are parenting our children.” If everyone was aware of how our choices and behaviours impacted on everyone else, society would behave and be very different to today.

23. “The love we all share as a family (and with others) has grown immeasurably as a result of how our love has deepened from all we have learnt through Universal Medicine.” I echo this statement Nicole. My love for people has grown exponentially since attending Universal Medicine presentations – and my interaction with my grand-children has also benefited from this big time.

24. ” All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are. ” This is so true and it can be seen from the photo the joy that your children are living.

25. In life when we reflect another way, it is expected that others will react. Respect our own choices and respect the equal right of others’ to live theirs and have fun and lightness while being at it.

26. In the end there will always be people who choose to see what they want to see, they will take umbrage, try an influence others and not stop till their issue has been proven ‘right’. It is time we stayed steady with what we know to be true from the inside, not the outside and what someone tells us is true or not. Love is the way to go and if there isn’t love is the leading impulse then I wouldn’t want a bar of it regardless of who was peddling it or who was criticising it.

27. Yeah, this is testimony enough that there is another way…one that perhaps might mean a bit more effort in the short term, but my gosh, some serious long term benefits to being truly connected to your family.

28. To me it is so crazy that parents who attend Universal Medicine are accused of not nourishing their kids, when there are so many overweight/obese kids these days in society. I see what goes in the average shopping trolley and it does not seem nourishing for the kids or parents.

    1. I agree Fiona, it’s a bizarre situation for children raised in such a loving environment with a nutritious, healthy diet to be attacked. No one despite their choices, heathy or unhealthy, should be attacked. As human beings there needs to be the basics of decency and respect in our communities, and leaving people to explore their own choices in life as a basic human right.

29. ‘So, call Universal Medicine whatever you like, I know in my heart The Way of The Livingness is the only way, and our family lives, breathes and is True Religion.’ Nicole, I whole heartedly agree with you. For me, The Way of The Livingness has brought true understanding of myself and of others and in this way, I have been able to make changes in my life that are more loving, caring and responsible. I would have it no other way.

30. In every relationship whether it is with our partner, children, mother, father, siblings, friends, extended family, etc I am being presented with opportunities to grow, opportunities to deepen the relationship to myself and becoming aware of what is not working is never an excuse to berate or judge myself and others but an offering of evolution accepting in full where I am at with no comparison knowing that change is inevitable when I align to deepen the love to myself.

31. “Life for our children is about living, enjoying and loving who they are, knowing it is ok for them to be who they are, to express what they feel without holding back in any way, learning how to be themselves and to nurture and love others, without judgement, criticism or comparison” – wow, imagine the world full of children brought up like this? That is the world I would definitely love to come back to.

32. This blog is a beautiful example of how The Way of The Livingness is about the way we live and not some dogma or creed.

33. Likewise my life was pretty chaotic before I started to commit to a way of living that brings stability. And far from that being boring, I’ve noticed that the level of steadiness and general health just gets stronger and stronger – its a bit of a miracle really to feel myself continuously growing when perceived wisdom suggests you start to tail off as you get older. Not with The Way of The Livingness…

    1. Yes, I have found I have come more alive as I have aged rather than slowed down or felt less engaged with life and life with me. I have also become acutely aware that there is so much more to life than me….I know shock horror! I am here to work and I am honoured to do so through parenting, office work, cleaning, driving, whatever is needed.

34. Gosh I love this reclaiming and celebration of the word religion; it feels great to be able to use it again and know its true meaning and quality.

    1. Likewise Matilda, its use gives me permission to cosy up to God and develop the intimate, magical relationship that is His lifelong promise to us.

35. Many of us do not parent in fact we allow children to grow up, with minimal guidelines and often especially today we allow our screens to raise them. To hear of someone who is truly engaged with their children and to feel the joy in how they live as a parent and their palpable joy in being with and raising their children and the journey they all are on together is very beautiful. This is how we all can be raised and can raise our children to be the fullness of who they are and in turn for their adult parents to be their own fullness, for the former can only happen if we in turn allow the later.

36. An awesome blog Nicole of the absolute integrity and responsibility you bring to your life as a woman, a mother and a parent. You highlight a great point here that speaks a wisdom that is life changing when truly lived – ‘To understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.’

37. “The way we live in our home does not just affect us, but affects everyone around us – both directly and indirectly in the home and outside of our home – and when we step out of our front door we take these choices and our way of life to all of humanity: it is this responsibility we have to consider when we are parenting our children.” This way of life speaks of the utmost integrity. Imagine more of us making these choices for humanity. True quality abounding for all.

38. Yes, so true. We do bottle things up, worried about what others might think or say, yet bottling things up usually makes things worse for the person bottling and those around them. Everything is felt but without the verbal expression things are rarely understood and misunderstandings are far more common.

39. What an opportunity to consider the way we raise our children and the way we parent our children. There is a difference and you have shared what a solid foundation it offers our children to be empowered and be responsible for the lives they live not live at the mercy of the world around them.

40. We don’t have to have had our own children to parent kids, I know that I am always around kids and it is as equally important for me to take responsibility of their development and raising them, being an amazing reflection also.

41. You present here a very inspiring model for parenting. All the things you mentioned that are different from other families are actually things that are positive, for instance it is different to have kids with meals that are purely nutritious and healthy and do not include any junk food or unhealthy snacks or rewards yet this should actually be normal. Just like the only educational use of iPads and computers this should actually be normal but it’s not and stands out. It is a great reality check for all of us to hear this story.

42. If all that came as a result Of attending Universal Medicine courses was the amazing transformation in our ability to be parents, then this alone would be an extraordinary contribution to humanity… The amazing thing is, is that this is just one of the many many things that comes from the wisdom pouring forth from these events

43. This is a beautiful testimony of the powerful blessings we all receive from living in way that is true and honouring of who we are- The Way of The Livingness. Thank you Nicole.

44. To truly parent, one must know oneself, to know oneself one must have a lodestone of truth And this Is what Universal Medicine is offering to humanity

45. Our children are indeed a reflection and Universal Medicine shines the light of clarity and wisdom to help us all be the deep and abiding support that all our children need.

46. You must be doing something right! The way children are parented today are causing a lot of short and long term problems, and the first and foremost is there is no relationship between parents and children. Children are not taught to have a relationship with themselves, and it is no fault of the parents, as they do not know better. So when a parent knows and begins to live this, it is naturally shared with their children, and of course this would stand out as most of the world is still choosing a way to teach a lack of responsibility rather than a way of responsibility, for when parents truly share responsibility, parents cannot simply say these words and expect the children to listen, they have to first live this responsibility so that the children will feel the living way and be touched to know responsibility is also natural within them.

47. So gorgeous to read Nicole thank you for sharing you and your beautiful family, what an amazing reflection you and your family are giving to the world where families are falling apart, where children are being abused, and where domestic violence is at an all time high, all for the want of what you bring and offer to your family in true love and care.

48. You are a brave, strong and honest woman Nicole, you are also an amazing mother. I personally think that the way you run your house will one day be studied as the most successful ways to raise the next generation. You are actually building your kids to be able to communicate in a share house when they are older, work out disputes without getting heated, these kind of life skills are what everyone needs. Anyone can sit their kid on the couch and let them stare at a box but what you are actively doing is supporting these kids to be ready for the next step without even trying and that’s what happens when you are flowing with the rhythm.

    1. Awesome summary Sarah. You can’t buy this kind of education, it’s taught through example and a willingness to see all as equal. I agree this practice of parenting will one day be studied, because it makes absolute sense!

49. I am much more at ease with and can open up and fully express and communicate me with out feeling I have to be on guard with what I say, this hasn’t always been the case. For many years I would say what I wanted to say in my head but the words I spoke would be totally different. Attending the courses and workshops of Universal Medicine has supported me to let go of the holding onto and bottling things up because it didn’t feel safe to say them. Being able to express what I truly feel has changed my out look on life completely and therefore how I parent myself and others as parenting is not just about children but how we are with ourselves and all others we meet.

50. This is a must read for any parents who feel challenged with raising their children, mainly because the many images that they are trying to fit in to of how they need to be seen as parents and the expectations they place on their children. As you have shared Nicole, true parenting is supporting children to be who they are so they can express more of their essence to the world and there seems to be a flow and ease which naturally creates more harmony and joy.

51. True parenting Nicole – absolutely inspiring and I can feel the ripple effect from what you are choosing as a family travel far.

52. We have been offered a wonderful opportunity to re imprint the way we parent not just our children but all others around us, for true parenting is an energy we align to and hold another in, allowing them the space to be who they are with no impositions just a reflection of love and responsibility.

53. To grow up in a truly supportive family – where expression is encouraged and not bottling things up is the norm – that’s quite an amazing job Nicole. I have often thought about parenting “rights and wrongs” or things I would do differently if I was a parent but see that there is beauty in consequences and learning as there is beauty already living within us.

54. What you clearly live and have shared here Nicole is amazing, a true testament to the teachings presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. There is no question you and your family look the epitome of vitality and joy… true markers of health we need to be revisiting as a society.

55. I truly appreciate all the sharings on understanding parenting children by Serge Benhayon. They have supported me to a deeper level of the responsibility and the practical way to hold children in their essence of who they are and not impose ideals and beliefs which come from un-dealt with hurts and issues that many carry from childhood, which tend to exacerbate as we grow into adults and face situations again that weren’t resolved the first time around.

56. It is a sad indictment on our society and the way we choose to live when it has become the norm to crush our children by way of deadening foods and behaviours so they cannot express in full the truth of who they are and, when we make a move to arrest this ill momentum and support children to preserve the exquisite light and love we are each born with instead of calibrating their expression of this to ‘fit in’ with the waywardness of the world, we run the risk of being ridiculed for not conforming to the established way, no matter that what has been established is in no way supportive of the expression of our true and authentic selves.

57. The greatest thing I have learned form Serge Benhayon about family is that we can observe and not absorb, we can choose to not get caught up in the dynamics which characterise families – and this is how we be a true family member and friend.

58. Our world so needs parents to parent their children. Not only that but all of the rest of society needs to parent children because it really does take a whole community to raise a child.

59. Equality is a big thing when it comes to being with children – whether they are your own or not they need to be heard and treated as if they are all knowing and very wise as they in fact are.

60. Parenting children as you say Nicole is about holding them and allowing them to grow and express in their own way and how supporting this can be, it not only brings great responsibility to the all but also negates the images and or beliefs that we have been accustomed to over our lives and begin anew. Thank you.

61. It’s crazy how we have got to a point that we think we are wise, strong and ‘grown up’, yet so much of what we do is harmful, small minded and not true. Contrast this with the way children are so playful, uninhibited, simple and sensitive and you would have to question who exactly is teaching who. Thank you for this Nicole and for showing the amazing way children, left uninterferred with, have so much beauty and intelligence we can all be inspired by and share in.

62. The photos say it all – the true vitality, aliveness and joy in you all is beautiful to see!

63. The Way of The Livingness does certainly raise eyebrows but I have yet to see and feel anything in this world that is so consistent, truthful and a truly joyfull way to live. Sucess redefined, its not about amount of possessions but in the quality in our everyday activities and interactions.

64. Learning to say ‘No’ in all areas of my life but especially in my relationship with my children is something I am becoming aware of. There are so many ideals and beliefs around parenting and pandering to my children’s needs and dishonouring the woman is certainly one belief I have taken on but I know in every movement I harm and abuse myself I harm and abuse them as it is impossible to love my children unless I am being loving with myself and this means learning to say ‘No’ instead of saying ‘Yes’.

65. I am forever amazed at the difference between the pictures that I hold of what a good parent should be and what is needed by my children. The pictures are based on so many beliefs and not at all responsive of the true needs of the child. Every year I have the opportunity to challenge what I have accepted as good parenting and deliver something completely different and in this I am discovering who I truly am rather than living a role that I imposed on myself.

66. Children crave quality not quantity – so do adults for that matter.

67. “So, call Universal Medicine whatever you like, I know in my heart The Way of The Livingness is the only way, and our family lives, breathes and is True Religion.” You are an inspiration Nicole.

68. ‘All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are.’

    Your blog is a wonderful testimony to being able to parent in a way that allows children to unfold naturally especially when the world is set up to do quite the opposite. Just one example is that today I watched a pop video of a pop star considered children friendly. But what I was watching was someone portraying herself as sexually desirable and this is what people are asking for. So where are we as a society when we do not celebrate ourselves for who we are, which, as adults, can be naturally sexy but in no way reduced to being objectified.

69. Our children are parented with the quality we choose to live in as parents, and all that you have described Nicole, the way you live, are qualities that speak of pure love and equality. Something to aspire too.

70. This is powerful Nicole, to understand that as parents we don’t own our children but are here merely as custodians to reflect them a way of being that allows them to make true choices in life that are more in line with who they truly are, and this is the most loving gift we can offer anyone as in truth there is nothing more powerful and precious than living our essence at any given time.

71. You live true family where children are parented and not just raised, where one snack or visit to the pantry does not follow another and where you don’t aimlessly spend hours on end in front of the television or stare at a tablet or other electronic device. It is a strange world indeed when this lifestyle and these choices are regarded as ‘out there’ or worthy of criticism or even condemnation. On which planet do these critics live?

72. A celebration of Universal Medicine and the impact it has had on your lives; as a way of living, I am inspired by what it will look like when we all take this kind of care and responsibility for our lives.

73. I love that you are talking about how you parent your children. Children need to be parented rather than just be allowed to grow up in the vague hope that they will turn out okay. Parenting requires consistency, commitment and responsibility.

    1. Thank you Elizabeth, beautifully summed up. So true. And I would add authenticity.

74. It’s interesting how we can look functional on the outside but be or feel messy on the inside. I know I did for most of my life – until I implemented the common-sense suggestions for living I heard at Universal Medicine presentations. Today, 10 years on, I’m still listening, and refining how I live. So now, how I live supports to support others to do same: live clean and productive rather than messy and all over the shop.

75. ‘… to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.’ – A very important sharing Nicole and makes me appreciate the way I also understand how to parent. Universal Medicine has supported me to raise our child in a way where she understands consequences, where she is her own person and not owned by me. It is a very different but at the same time natural way to parent.

76. I can feel from reading your blog the deep honouring and caring that you bring to parenting. This is so lovely to read as I see more and more parents too tired and exhausted to really be with their kids. You are raising the kids while others just let them grow up. Kids need to be raised as this sets a true foundation for life.

    1. Hmmm. Well said, Elizabeth. Is our current parenting a classic case of short term relief and following a path of least resistance, without consideration for the long term consequences as we look at ever decreasing levels of responsibly and social collaboration.

77. Parenting is for everyone, not just those who have children, we all hold a responsibility to parent ourselves also, to bring love to ourselves that then may shine for all to remember they too are of that same love. We are all role models – so what reflection will we choose to bring?

78. The presentations of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are the most beautiful reminder that we all deserve true care, delicate understanding, nurturing and full appreciation. These aren’t things we deliver when someone is just a kid, but a life long dedication to ourselves and everyone we meet. Growing up is not a end of this because you’ve ‘got your lot’ but a depenening in every sense we have. Brilliantly said Nicole. Once we open up to this it feels awful to ever be hard on or with ourselves.

79. Practical, simple and evolutionary… The Way of The Livingness celebrated and confirmed… thank you, Nicole.

80. Beautiful Nicole, what is clear in your sharing here is the more responsibility we choose to take, the less room there is for indulgence, anger, blame and hate. The thing is there is no time for this any day, it’s just having children and a family highlights the impact in such a stark way. Our traditional technique to deal with this has been to remove ourselves or hide our head in the sand and continue on the irresponsible way we always have. You show us here this definitely does not work, but just prolongs the abuse.

81. The most amazing thing about living the Ageless Wisdom is that it isn’t about adopting a new teaching or a new way of life, it is about returning to who we already are, and clearing the falseness of what we have taken on. Beautiful sharing Nicole.

82. Anyone who steps outside the norm by raising their standards of self awareness and living in general will always ..’shake the tree’…. You are certainly doing a lot of shaking there Nicole …☺

83. It is so important to stop and appreciate and confirm when we have chosen to make changes to our lives and the changes that this makes to our quality of life and to everyone around us.

84. It’s so beautiful to read the responsibility with which you parent your children and the foundation of love you reflect to humanity.

85. A beautiful appreciation of what Universal Medicine offers to us individually, that then streams and flows onto our family and friends.

86. It is great that there are some people in this world actually parenting their children and not leaving it up to schools as they are too busy or haven’t connected the bringing up of children with responsibility. Having family meetings on a regular basis is an essential tool in keeping the family connected and and the responsibility of each family member on an even keel.

87. This is an amazing testimony to the power of the Ageless Wisdom to totally transform our lives from misery to joy . . . and a testimony to all those who have made the choice to move out of the misery and illusion of the world and lead the way back home. Beautiful to hear of how this operates in a family Nicole.

88. “Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.” The true power of love and the living reflection it offers. Thank you Nicole.

89. I have been learning a lot about what true family is and certainly recognize that simply having the same surname does not constitute a family. What we have tolerated and called family has allowed for so much abuse to go on. Nowhere is there more abuse, more crushing of a human being than in most families. This blog is a great example of how families can work to evolve each other rather than what usually goes on in them. We need role models like this of true family.

90. Gorgeous. It is said pictures say a thousands words and the photos of your family here speak volumes … it makes me want to pop round and be with you and the absolute joy and love your family clearly all are (not that easy as I live in the UK!). As you have said no one is perfect but we can choose to live all that we truly are which is what I can see you are supporting your family to do, as well as living for yourself. With regards to ‘The way we choose to parent our children I know for many raises eyebrows’, perhaps instead of judging others (which is easy) we should first look to ourselves and how we are doing and living (not so easy), but who are we to judge another? Thank you for standing for the truth and claiming the love you live.

91. Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon has presented and shown by example so much useful information on taking more care of myself and how simple and effective it can be and I am in no doubt that my wife and my children have benefited enormously from having a more stable, consistent, vital, joyful father and husband and I know that they would say the same thing if asked.

92. ‘Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.’ This is a beautiful way to be with our immediate family, which can extend to our friends, colleagues and neighbours…we can always have a point of reflection from others and do so in return, so that we may live the all of who we are.

93. The fact it is all choices is humbling and exposing. What is beautiful is when we align to loving choices the ease that unfolds in my body is so beautiful and lovely I wonder why on earth I have fought so long to deny myself what is so easily available.

94. ‘Life for our children is about living, enjoying and loving who they are, knowing it is ok for them to be who they are, to express what they feel without holding back in any way, learning how to be themselves and to nurture and love others, without judgement, criticism or comparison.’ This encapsulates everything for me, children with these qualities grow into adults with these same qualities and the more there are the more harmony we have in our world.

95. I agree, the bottling up seems so prevalent in families. We need to make more space and time for true expression to be a priority.

96. “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be. ” To be able to make a choice like this and stick to it is a true blessing. Your children will grow up feeling deeply supported and loved and confident to be in this crazy, upside down world. You’ve given them an incredible head start. Thank God for Universal Medicine.

97. A beautiful example of Parenting Nicole! These days it seems parents have a hard time coping with all the electronic games etc. there is on offer.. The fact that you keep parenting simple, and are connect so well as a family is impressive and a great example to all.

98. Thank you for sharing – this is an inspirational on for how it is possible to live stimulation free and be responsible for ourselves and others. I am raising a baby girl and her diet has been all about fresh healthy foods and I am seeing that she does not get worked up about foods – it is just a part of her day. This is a very different relationship to the one I used to have with food 🙂

99. I have found that with The Way of The Livingness, there is a great deal of discarding of what does not work. And this is especially true with parenting where I have had to be very honest about the pictures I have collected along the way about what a ‘good’ parent is, which asks me to be willing to see the impact of these images on my children and myself. But what The Way of The Livingness has given to us is a marker, or an experience of what love feels like, and so when I start to impose the pictures again and try to push my family towards them, we can all instantly feel that it is not love, and as such say no to its driving force.

100. True parenting as inspired by The Way of The Livingness allows us the opportunity to evolve as there is nothing we can do that is not from truth that is reflected back to us from children, so we get to support our children being themselves and we learn from our children, come back to the simplicity and innocence we once were.

101. Parenting invites adults to play an active part in the evolution of young people, which is equally a part of all of our evolution.

102. When people talk about their families how many in the world can share as you have Nicole? Not many I would say. It’s awesome to read your appreciation for your family and I sit here feeling that underneath all the stuff we may have in between us as family members there is so much to appreciate. Thank you.

103. We can get swept along in the should and shouldn’t and do’s and do nots, and what society prescribes us to do or we can lead the way in demonstrating to Humanity that there is another way – one that honours who we are, brings our true essence to the fore and raises our children rather than producing an end-product to prove our parenting efforts or prowess.

104. The quality we bring to parenting can only be as deep as the quality we bring to ourselves. I am learning that I am a constant reflection to my daughter – she watches me all the time and her learning comes from observation, so I have a responsibility to be loving with myself first, otherwise what example and I setting to her?

105. I can too say, I am far far far better off because of Serge Benhayon becoming a part of my life.

106. So gorgeous to read this blog, and see the true responsibility in which you parent your children to be all that they are, what a wonderfull place would the world be if we all raise our children in this loving way, having them grown up in society as full and responsible adults is a breath of fresh air.

107. “Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.” Thank you Nicole for a beautifully inspiring blog on parenting. What a beautiful reflection on how to support and nurture families with deep love and respect to grow and evolve together.

108. “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be; to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true” . . . . beautiful Nicole. It is so important to encourage our children to be themselves and call them out when they are not. Forget ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and replace it with ‘why aren’t you being yourself?’ . . . ‘This behaviour is not you, you need to come back to yourself’

109. I have been around your family Nicole and can say they are an absolute joy. What is most interestimg is that eyebrows are raised about parenting that has boundaries such as yours, yet no one bats an eyelid when children are allowed to sit in front of screens wasting their childhood playing meaningless games. What a mixed up world we live in.

110. What would our life look like if we made our every day all about light? How would things change if we fostered a lightnesss in our body and eliminated foods and behaviours that felt heavy? I feel we would find as your family seems to have done Nicole, that our body is the perfect barometer of what is true for us to do. People may disagree and fight what Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon present, but I haven’t seen anyone refute, rule out or disprove that living in a Light expansive and accepting way is what our body loves.

111. So many of us muddle through, trying different things and different ideas for parenting and reacting to the way we were raised. How beautiful it is to read of your steady, loving foundation Nicole. What a gift to your children to have such a loving base to come from.

112. Thank you, Nicole, for being such an amazing reflection of Woman and Mother as well as Son of God to all of us.

113. What an amazing blog, it is beautiful to feel and see the quality in which you raise your children. It is in al ways deeply inspiring, giving them an opportunity to truly bring themselves what we all truly know is what parenting is about.

114. So amazing for your children to have this start in life – allowing them a freedom of choice that most children will never have the opportunity of experiencing.

115. We are riddled with ideals and beliefs about parenting, one such belief is that we own our children. This is not the case, they are just born through us and yes we are responsible for raising them but they are not ours to own. We need to love all children the same way we do our own and know that they are all spirits on their own journey through life, making choices. We need to let them be and not try and control them or think we know what is good for them. I have spent the last 10 years letting go of my children and it is so liberating for all of us.

116. The fact or the living fact that everything is connected as this blog mentions and the knock on effect has never been clearer than now. I have always known this but dare I say, never lived it deeply. As I am aware there is no end point, no point you reach where there isn’t another step. I have lived this in parts but never across my whole life and now is the time for another step.

117. How amazing is it, Nicole, that your children don’t seek food to distract, stimulate or numb themselves because they feel fulfilled within themselves. What you are presenting is a model for the future, where from young we are encouraged to stay connected to the inner abundance of love.

118. It is interesting how people react to a life style that not only supports the body but supports everyone as a whole. I know that I have so much more vitality and don’t need alcohol,TV, caffeine or food to keep me going through the day, so it makes sense if we know these things, why would we not allow our children to live this way too. Parenting children is about taking true responsibility in offering them choices that support them in being all that they are, whether at school home or in the street. I know I have taken on many ideals and beliefs from my parents that have become my reality and it takes a long time to undo, so why is it so bad to give our children, the best possible start in life, one that is void of ideals and beliefs and expectations of how they should be.
     P..S Your family looks amazing Nicole and they certainly don’t look under nourished or lacking in vitality they sparkle like the super stars they are.

119. Nicole, your blog is a celebration of true parenting and as you share others benefit from the reflection each of you bring. Such an inspiration.

120. Children learn most through observation and refection in my experience, so I know for me one of the greatest gifts I have given them is for me to work on me and live my life as responsibly as I can, without perfection so that they become inspired by that and know that they can live it too.

121. Parenting our children – it might seem obvious yet so few parents do it. I like your point about how parents use TV, computer games etc to babysit children. This is definitely what I see happening. Becoming a parent brings a great responsibility. The question to be asked however is how much are parents able to embrace that responsibility?

122. I am not a parent yet, and children may seem a wee way off yet, but having the blessing of witnessing such a beautiful and very loving and natural way of raising children has certainly left an impression on how I want to raise my children.

123. You share about a way of life, parenting and relationship that sounds totally natural, makes absolute sense and is inspiring; yet it is not statistically normal in the world today. I particularly love the point about there being no expectation of perfection; a humble and understanding approach that dismantles the unachievable pictures we have created of how things ‘should’ look/be. Thank you.

124. Nicole, fundamental to the importance of this piece of writing is how you describe your children now and that you do not expect them to be any different in the essential relationships they have with themselves and with nature when they are adults. This to me is the sign of a great parent, and a person who sees that there is not a stop point between being an adult or a child, because life is one continuous stream of living regardless of the size of body that one has.

125. ‘With this choice there is no time off, there is no self, life is not just about you, everything you do and say has a knock-on effect, it affects the all’.- It is this truth that humanity struggles with and the resistance can be felt. We are being so conditioned to believe and thus put into action extremism in so many forms whether it is about getting to the top of the corporate ladder regardless of how many that are attacked along the way or the child that will only be recognised by the ‘A’s they bring home on a report card. Brotherhood or living as one and in unity does not mean that a person is less, in fact society benefits because they bring so much more love, vitality, inspiration and reflection around what is possible. This is a beautiful blog Nicole and a true gift to all people particularly parents that read it.

126. It is so important to be able to express everything you feel and to have the space to feel. Honouring ourselves and our families is hugely healing.

127. I love this blog Nicole and what struck me today is how you make parenting choices that consider all of the family, choices that don’t compromise the ‘good’ of any one family member.

128. Imagine if this was the front page news story around the world today. What if instead of the stories about terrorist bombs and political deals, we were to read this glowing testimony, Nicole. To me it should appear there in capital letters, for the difference you describe is truly a revelation for humanity. When you consider how many of us experience disharmony in our bodies, daily lives and families, what you and Universal Medicine present potentially, changes everything. It is time we all woke up and started to see, the power for this ‘good news story’ lives in you and me.

129. I appreciate reading about the great care you and your husband take in ensuring every details supports every member of your family feels completely loved, cherished and honoured as well as being able to express themselves fully and openly. You provide a great blueprint for the level of care not just in all other families, but also in the whole of society.

130. What a beautiful family you have Nicole and an inspiring way of living and parenting you share so simpy and clearly with true responsibility and love. The reflection and inspiration from Serge Benhayon his family and Universal Medicine is immense and supportive and you are all an example of this by your choices and reflection also.

131. ‘to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true’ – one of the biggest mistakes we can make as parents is to believe that we know more than our children.

132. ‘We are not perfect and neither are our children, however they are deeply loved and it is because of the love we hold ourselves in and correspondingly the love we are then able to hold them in’ … a beautiful reminder that everything starts with the relationship we develop with ourselves first. We can’t offer more love to another than we offer to ourselves.

     1. Yes, this debunks the awful myth we live under that a great parent is someone who sacrifices themselves for their children. We learn so much more from observing how others live than the words they use, so a child of a parent that is not taking care of and honouring themselves learns this behaviour and relationship with themselves and the cycle of lack of self care and disregard perpetuates. Big picture: this does not look great out in the world right now.

133. I have two gorgeous children and I am also a student of Universal Medicine. How I parent now is very different to how I parent prior to Universal Medicine. Through Serge Benhayon’s teachings and inspiration I have started to parent from a place of love, equality, respect and honoring of myself and my family. I can write a book on how being a student of Universal Medicine has changed my life, my parenting and my relationships has changed to a way that is more loving, honest, harmonious and joyful than ever before. My appreciation for what Serge Benhayon and many students who have reflected to me and continously inspire me is forever deepening. I am grateful for choosing to embrace the loving way totally inspired by everyone I have met at Universal Medicine.

134. The example of how you live is a responsible model for anyone to choose to follow. Personally I feel inspired by it, the pictures of your family feel like there is true love, and care for all within it. I love the way you understand and respect everyone as equals and how children can bring some clarity to the adults sometimes.

135. ‘Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am’. Children are very open and have not yet dulled their awareness so they hold up a clear mirror for us to look into if we are humble enough to do so and to see the gift of what they offer us. A true parent will treat their children as equals while at the same time offering firm loving guidance as needed.

     1. Amazing Sandra, I agree and love your comment. This is exactly what I have learnt and started to do since being a student of Universal Medicine. Parenting from a quality of absolute love, equality and like you shared also, with a firm loving guidance instead of control and fear. I am learning to appreciate what my children are reflecting to me and they are teaching me every day about true parenting.

136. Many people have children for themselves and do no raise their children to be responsible, caring people who are part of humanity. The family becomes a very insular unit and is most often dysfunctional due to lack of expression and communication. How wonderful to be part of a family where we can ‘share what we feel without holding onto or bottling things up, where we are able to work on not judging each other’. By doing this Nicole, you are exposing ideals around family and you are reflecting to others how a true family can be.

137. The reflection of responsibility can often cause a reaction in others. A beautiful account of responsible parenting.

138. What a beautiful testimonial for what love is truly about, particularly in family. From my experience it seems it is easier to criticise than to look at the changes that need to be brought in in order to change patterns and ways of being that are not working. The rising rates of youth suicide should tell us we have to pay attention to every single area of a young persons upbringing, not just stand and defend or criticise. “The changes in my own life and how I now live with this deep sense of regard for myself have allowed me to bring a deeper regard to my whole family, including how I parent my three children.”

139. Nicole, this makes absolute sense, ‘All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are.’ And yet this is so often not the way children are raised. Children are often not raised to honour themselves and what they are feeling and not raised to continue to be the very gentle beings that they naturally are. I see at schools that there is almost an expectation that as the children get older they toughen up and do not stay so sensitive and sweet and innocent, it is almost seen that this is part of growing up.

140. “Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.” How beautiful this is Nicole, to honour your children in this way. How different the world would be if children were treated like this by everyone, regardless of whether they are our own children or not.

141. This is a great testament to The Way of The Livingness that allows us to live with an understanding that life is not just about us but that we also have an impact on the wellbeing of others simply by the choices that we make, so true parenting is supporting children to be themselves so they grow up knowing the responsibility of their reflection.

     1. Yes Francisco that is the greatest and most fundamental lesson in life. That we are all connected, our choices impacts everyone and everything and knowing the level of responsibility we hold. And what ‘s more, no amount of words, manipulation or punishment can teach this, this way of living can only be taught by living and reflecting it by example.

142. Universal Medicine has provided me with a deep understanding of what it is to be a responsible person, and then take that into my parenting – but it comes from a foundation of what is the quality in my life and me as a woman first. This has been an amazing unfolding to see how I am more sensitive, more connected, wanting to go there in my life – the more this supports my baby.

143. Gosh this is a very big one isn’t it – ‘ideals or beliefs around how we think a true family should be or look’? I certainly had this growing up, my expectations and others’ expectations of what family should ‘be’ like; but thankfully this has now gone. To me, it is simply not true to say that children who are growing up in families with parents who are associated with Universal Medicine are in danger and are “deprived of nurturing and responsible parenting in the name of ‘healing’ and ‘self-love.’” I know many of the families and children that attend Universal Medicine events and so I know that this could not be further from the truth. I do not have children but, working with them, I know how hard it is growing up today. It is an absolute joy to read about your family and how you parent them. Parents are needing to have parenting classes regarding this more and more now, particularly with social media and how it can affect children, amongst many other things, like education and the stresses it can put on them. Reading this part I had a flashback to when I was younger: ‘they are not standing in front of the refrigerator or pantry looking for something to fill an emptiness or void within them, they are not wanting to snack constantly throughout the day, neither are they seeking comfort in distractions outside of themselves such as television, iPads or computers.’ That is exactly what I used to do, stand in front of the fridge wondering what I could eat instead of connecting with me. Connection is key, not just with ourselves, but with everyone around us, and my life too has changed for the better after knowing Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine and I continue to learn, heal and change many things within my life. This is so beautiful; gosh, what if every family did this: ‘We have family meetings to share what we feel is needed next for the family as a whole, what is supportive and what is not.’ The photos of your children and you as a family say it all and confirm exactly what you are sharing here and finally you sum it all up beautifully here: ‘All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are’. Isn’t this what we should all be working towards? And I would like to add … there have been far too many lies regarding Universal Medicine. It appears to me that we need to take responsibility for how we express and never lie, try to cause trouble, or abuse anyone.

144. I do not have children of my own, however thanks to Universal Medicine I am now aware that family is not limited to nuclear or blood families. I am just as responsible as a ‘parent’ figure to all young people in my life. I also am aware children may be less practiced at the ins and outs of societal life, however in our connection and awareness of universal aspects of life there is no difference due to sex, age, colour nor creed. Some of us are less willing to express our essence and require loving support, but that is nothing to do with age. It is gorgeous to see more and more children not treated as puppets whose heads need to be filled with facts, figures and rules. I recall how excruciating I found it when I was at the receiving end of this. I love witnessing children being honoured as super sensitive, aware and wise beings just as they ought to be.

145. ‘The proof is in the pudding,’ so to speak. The evidence of great parenting is to look into the eyes of your children and see their inner sparkle, openness and confidence.

146. “to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.”
     The lessons in living that I have learnt from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are infinite.
     One of the biggest aspects for me has been undressing the pictures that I hold about so many aspects of my life; parenting being a huge one. As these pictures drop away, there has been a re-balance of roles within our family unit, a shift that has offered everyone an equal voice, a real sense of purpose in re-learning to live in a way that honours, cherishes and feeds us all back.

147. ‘Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.’
     This is a very beautiful aspect of parenting – equality in relationships.

148. The more I relinquish the many beliefs and ‘rules’ about parenting I have held, the more refreshing, inspiring and educational parenting is. I know I learn so much alongside all the children in my life.

149. ‘Our children are an absolute pleasure to have, be around and parent;’ It is refreshing to hear parents speak of the joy of raising their children – free from the burdens of ideals and ‘ownership’ that can take hold.

150. It seems the world is reluctant to fully wake up to the monumental impact that screen time and the quality of what our children (and adults) are accessing through these all-pervasive devices. and at the same time it can be demoralising and despairing to view the state of dysfunction of the world today [- so much so that the temptation is to return to the checkout of the screen]. Band-aid solutions won’t work, only a commitment to look at where we, each of us, is at, and as humanity as a whole, and how we too are contributing to it by our apathy, comfort and chosen ignorance.

151. thank you for sharing the truth of how you live, and a huge reflection of what is possible when we return to living a life that allows us to remain true to what we feel, rather than what the world crowds upon us – telling us how we must be.

152. Making changes to your diet and lifestyle in order to look after yourself better is in itself not rocket science. However, for most, it is extremely difficult to make such choices consistently and ongoingly. And this is why stories such as this one above are more profound than they seem to be on the surface of things.

153. “The way we choose to parent our children I know for many raises eyebrows, but with that comes an understanding and an appreciation; others get to know us and our children, and from that they gain a greater awareness of the love and quality in which we live and the love and quality in which we parent our children.”
     Indeed Nicole it is the way you move and hold one another that unravels these raised eyebrows, confirms the power of choice and points to another way to live & be; The simple glory of the Livingness.

154. Beautifully claimed and expressed in the true power and glory of the truth of The Way of The Livingness and real inspiration thanks Nicole. Your absolute knowingness and appreciation of truth emanates through your words as a reflection to the world.

155. What a great true role-model you and your husband offer for parents of all ages. A gorgeous and inspiring blog. Thank you Nicole.

156. I agree that as a parent myself it feels important to raise children with a sense of responsibility so that they understand and learn that everything we do affects everything.

157. There can be a tendency in life, for us to fight, to argue and hit back with words. When you look at the way we carry on – wow how we misbehave. So any way of parenting that produces the results you describe Nicole is super important for us to explore. For in every moment of every day, we are always parenting ourselves, it’s just a question of how loving we are able to be. Every relationship reflects back to us our true maturity and responsibility.

158. ‘Our children are an absolute pleasure to have, be around and parent; we are offered an opportunity to forever observe what they need, where they need support and what we can do to encourage them in their own evolution.’ This is beautiful that you are appreciate your children in this way and are always attentive to what they might need by way of support.

159. I watched a presentation recently where Serge Benhayon emphasised the importance in the family home environment of confirming one another and appreciating what we all bring. This simple principle has made me look at how often I have made relationships about what we are doing wrong rather than celebrating everything we have got.

160. I feel it is so important that the facts of how parents who are inspired by the presentations by Serge Benhayon in fact parent with love, nurture and inspiration to be responsible for all your choices.

161. My life was chaotic, and I would say that many people feel like this, over whelmed and some what at sea….I have been profoundly inspired by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. Life has changed, because I have changed how I live, I have become more responsible and it is empowering to know we can make different choices to heal and flourish.

162. What an absolute gift you are giving to your children by raising them the way you do. You are setting them up to be solid, open, loving and gentle throughout their lives with an awareness of the whole. If we were all raised this way the world would be a very different place.

163. “we have family meetings to share what we feel is needed next for the family as a whole, what is supportive and what is not.” I love this, we have all lots to share even when we are young and talking in a family setting about things like this is very beautiful and a true way of living together.

164. Parenting our children is their most fundamental education in this world, everything they encounter in life will be referenced back to the family first and foremost, whatever that family might be. Therefore the manner and quality of our personal care, conduct and choices matter from day one. As you say Nicole, the quality of family life has much wider implications than we really appreciate, the moment we step out of the door we take with us everything we have lived inside the home, every loving and un-loving choice resides within our bodies. Teaching children how to lovingly relate to themselves, to one another and world outside begins with us as parents putting this into living practice, to really live the example we want our children to become.

165. There is so much inspiration here. To have the presence that does not hide from any challenge that life holds- no avoiding past hurts or life’s invitations to bring deeper understandings- brings a way of living that has no need for cover ups. From this willingness to be transparent and address each moment as it arises means there is no need to eat foods that take one away from being the amazingness that we are. Having such a loving and supportive environment as you and your partner have established allows your children to enjoy being themselves. It’s so beautiful to feel especially when I experience this as being very rare. Often children are put under extraordinary pressure to perform to please a parent or teacher so the adult can look successful; a pressure to ‘not go there’ and expose an old hurt of the adult knowing the adult is doing all they can to avoid it including unconsciously asking the child to pretend like it’s normal to avoid whatever is plainly there in the room.

     I read this and am inspired to be open to life and observe what is there and to no longer pretend other than what I know and use food mostly, to avoid awareness.

166. I love what is reflected here about the potential of a family. It is becoming more and more clear to me that the foundations of family outlined here define what a true family is. And that level of love, honouring, appreciation and support when expressed between people, offers an experience and awareness that family extends far beyond our concept of nuclear and blood families. It is in fact possible for it to expand to include the whole of humanity.

167. It’s gorgeous to hear you appreciating your kids Nicole and everything that they teach you and the family!

     1. It is super inspiring!

168. You raise a key point here Nicole… our children need parenting and not just raising – there is a huge difference between these two ways – one has responsibility as its foundation, a way of living with true connection; the other fosters irresponsibility and is more about ticking boxes than connection.

169. It is accounts like yours, Nicole, that make me thank God every day for Universal Medicine and the immense support relentlessly offered by Serge Benhayon and his family, inspiring us to keep learning and growing in our relationships, with ourselves and everyone we interact with in our lives.

170. “Our children are all born gentle, loving, tender and precious, and why should any of that change as they begin to grow and become young adults?” – I saw a gorgeous interaction with mother and son the other day at the airport. The son who was a teenager leant over to his mum and they had a very tender and loving embrace as they stood and waited. It’s not usual to see this kind of interaction with teenage boys these days as they have often become toughened from society’s expectations on them as young men.

171. Serge Benhayon is re-establishing a way of living that holds the core values of respect, equality and integrity as essential to all and every relationship, no matter how intimate. No criticism but my family life was not like this and so it is not only remarkable to witness but so uplifting to be shown another example of how we can be with each other, one that asks us to take responsibility for our part in life and to not fall for the same belief that just because you live with someone you can treat them in any a lesser way. What a true gift to any family when the parents choose to apply some of Serge’s many wisdoms and raise their children with these core values, the respect, appreciation and confidence is very evident.

172. Nicole, it is very gorgeous to read your article about your family, I love how you claim and express how beautiful and loving your kids and whole family are – this article is truly inspiring to read.

173. Thank you Nicole for sharing such an amazing turn around and such beautiful pictures, it is just lovely to see you and your family in these photos. These photos say a thousand words and you can just feel the love and joy. The evidence is right here, you make it very clear, so there is no doubt that there have been a lot of complete and utter lies made up about Serge Benhayon, and in fact he has helped you to live a life of real love. Thank you for sharing.

174. Love has returned in our families is what I feel when reading this blog. This is how we can live in a family and raise our children with responsibility and purpose and in that are the role models for future families to be.

     1. ‘Love has returned in our families…’. So beautifully expressed Nico. Love never ends or goes anywhere; we can just choose it or not! To have ever lost it from our families is unfathomable really…

175. This is joy to read and reread Nicole Serafin. Living in a way that honours our natural way of being is such a gift. I too appreciate immensely the support and leadership of Serge Benhayon who has dared to speak up and deliver the truth of the state of mankind. He lives from his true nature and that is available to each and every one of us- The Way of the Livingness. The benefits to your children in being parented from this quality and way of living are priceless!

     1. Sure Bernadette, love is priceless and can only be valued in full when we too come from love and are connected in our inner hearts.

     2. True, Bernadette, I also cannot put a value on the amazing shifts that have occurred and are still happening in my personal and professional life, thanks to The Way of The Livingness.

176. “I take responsibility for each and every choice that impacts on my health and well-being and all my relationships.” Nicole since coming to Universal Medicine this has been the dramatic shift in my life that I’ve made – that of responsibility. Each day I am learning a new and deeper form of it and with that my enjoyment of life deepens, I never would have thought that responsibility and joy go hand in hand but that is now my reality.

177. Children are certainly a point of reflection. I am learning so much from my young grandchildren – about how I was when young – and can reclaim that for myself now I am in my sixties.

178. This is an amazing turn around brought about by simple, steady and consistent choices to bring love and responsibility into your life – from “constant chaos and overwhelm, mostly due to, actually all due to, the choices I was making”. I know too by experience that to care and make responsible choices brings this change from overwhelm to an easy flow in the day.

179. You present a revolutionary way of parenting here Nicole – one of self care and self responsibility which naturally allows for and supports you to care and support your children. This is not something that can be studied or learnt in a text book or course or workshop on parenting or child development. It is something that in my experience only works if you actually live it yourself as a parent, without perfection but with a certain commitment and dedication.

180. ‘there are always others that are affected and impacted by the way we live’ … this is one of the gifts of parenting for me, the realisation that my kids learn more from me by observing how I live, than from what I say (as indeed do I from them) and that therefore my commitment and responsibility comes in how I choose to take care of and honour myself and be honest, respectful and open with everyone.

     1. I agree Matilda, we are our children’s first and greatest role models, and the saying ‘do as I say and not as I do’ been more apt when it comes to most parenting techniques, but much more powerful than tell our kids how to be, we can show them in how we are with ourselves.

        1. Totally yes, Rebecca. Our ‘walk’ is a much more inspiring and effective teacher than our ‘talk’.

181. I can honestly say, hand on heart that I have never before encountered the depth of regard, respect and love that I do in the families who have chosen The Way of The Livingness. While not perfect there is a distinct quality in these families that is so beautiful to engage with. The children are outgoing, bright, confident and healthy and the relationship between the family members feels honest and open, even on those inevitable off days we all have, respect and appreciation is still high on the agenda. Whatever someone might say to diminish or destroy these families, time will reveal the true quality of parenting that is being lived here, as these children will grow up into very balanced, self knowing adults with a huge amount of wisdom and commitment to offer the world and thank God, because our societies are really going to need them.

182. Parenting is now being handed over to screens, with people giving up on it. Screens that are handed to children from their time in prams that have instant access to pornography – a scary fact indeed.

183. I have been fortunate to stay in this house with Nicole, her husband and children and can attest that it is truly a loving home whose children are deeply loved and are being set up beautifully for life. To have a strong foundation of commitment, love, responsibility and care is a great start to life.

184. It is so inspirational Nicole to hear and feel you claim in full the truth of The Way of The Livingness and how it guides your life and that of your family. I can feel the deep appreciation of Serge Benhayon and The Way of The Livingness and share it with you. When you know the truth by how it feels and plays out in your life the expression of it becomes natural. Thank you for sharing your experience with the world!

185. My children were in their early 20s by the time I met Serge Benhayon, but the understanding I have gained from him about our relationships with our children regardless of their age has been huge. I have learned to respect their independence and their choices and to see them as equal human beings, and we have had an easy, respectful relationship as a result.

186. This blog is an enormous exercise in self appreciation – and it’s great to read something like this. In no way does it feel defensive, just an honest sharing of a life/lives lived differently – in a supportive way that nourishes the body.

187. Nicole the enjoyment you share with your family is refreshing to read about. How many children are raised in a home that is joyful, nurturing and free of addictive substances? Providing a loving space for children to grow and thrive in is surely the role of parents, and this regard you are a role model.

188. These pictures show children who look like they are oozing with life – vibrant, healthy, glowing and happy. To claim anything other than this is to deny what is right there in front of you.

189. This is such a beautiful account of how parenting from the heart can be and as such serves as inspiration for any reader should they so choose.

190. IW OH TBM
     It’s rare for parents to follow their inner wisdom and parent from this inner knowing. Society has its own dictates on what constitutes success and often parent’s best intentions try to ensure their children succeed. But this can often be at the expense of nurturing and appreciating the true gold each child brings. So parenting without reference to society’s values but to a universal, all inclusive truth can challenge those who know they have sold out for a better life when they know they could have had a whole other level of relationship. But standing firmly in true relationships as I read here shows me making that commitment to love is possible and worth it.

191. Thank you Nicole, this is a great testimony of what true parenting is all about to support children to be who they truly are with no impositions, just the understanding of responsibility that the way we live affects others in their own evolution and being connected with our bodies and the love we are is the only way to live.

192. Nicole like you Universal Medicine has also played a huge role in my life, yet not in the way that it may be perceived from the outside, there are no rules of what to do or not do, no diets or exercise routines to follow – instead what we end up with is a deeply loving way of living that from that point enables one to parent in a whole different way, to have family conversations that are deeply healing and to come together first with purpose and second as a family.

193. I know that one of the greatest things we can ever do for our children is to teach them how to express everything they feel and to never hold any of it back. More so, it is to ultimately show and empower them to know for themselves the difference between a feeling from our soul (our true essence) and a feel or rather an emotion from our spirit (the emotional and deceitful nature)

194. ‘they have conversations with us about what they are feeling, and we have family meetings to share what we feel is needed next for the family as a whole, what is supportive and what is not.’ I love that your children are encouraged to express what they feel, this is so supportive for when they are independent later in life. And the fact that they are fully engaged in all family decisions means they are already being accepted for the wise beings we know them to be. A great role model for parenting.

195. Rock solid consistency is the most wonderful aspect a parent can offer their children, and Serge Benhayon is an absolute model of consistency, in ALL walks of life, that is an extraordinary inspiration for us all.

196. Yes, Nicole, it makes such a difference when children aren’t filled with stimulants, as they are not having to deal with excessive raciness, can just feel themselves in their bodies and therefore are able to stay in touch with their sensitivity.

197. Serge Benhayon and his whole family reflect to humanity what true family looks like, we are blessed to have this reflection because most of us had no idea how this looked before we met them.

198. What your children are experiencing is the antidote or true healing remedy to most of the tremendous and out of control problems we face as society. It needs to start with the parents or adults to then offer a difference to our children that is not just truly loving but consistent, sustainable and thus very real and reliable.

     1. Yes, real change can occur in society when parents are responsible and consistently loving.

199. I know that if you had not made the changes you have, i.e given up drinking and smoking pot, then you would not be the amazing parent you are today and role model that you are. It is so great that our kids can see that there is another way to live and it doesn’t involve having to get wasted as so many tend to do these days in an effort to cope with a life that they don’t really enjoy but don’t know how to change.

200. What I see in the photos accompanying this blog are children who are fully present and joyfully expressive. I love the little chap wearing the blue beads! This is the kind of beingness we want to see in our children, not the checked out, dull and disempowered children that seems to be so commonplace today.

201. The Universal-Medicine-is-evil story needs to be retired pronto. There are so many gorgeous, UM-inspired parents who are truly raising their kids, to the best of their ability, that it’s ridiculous to keep levelling these kinds of accusations at anyone who so much attends a Universal Medicine workshop. The glowing faces I see speak for themselves.

202. This is a beautiful example of how a family should be with each other and is worth sharing, especially as there are so many families who are in turmoil these days on so many different levels and aspects of their lives.

203. Passing on true values to our kids is surely one of the most important gifts we can give them, and one very important value is teaching them to eat to keep their awareness and to not dull what they feel
     – now that is preparing your child for an amazing and successful and fulfilling life.

204. Nicole this is the most beautiful blog and sharing of your amazing family and the truth about true family you live. What a gift for all of us to be brought up and live this way. “As a family we live in a quality and a way that consistently reflects to each other that there is always more, that there are always others that are affected and impacted by the way we live, and that we all have a responsibility to live in a way that is true and considers everyone equally also.”

205. It can be hard to claim you are an amazing parent as all your faults as a parent can be quite evident. We don’t need to remind ourselves of these as our children and others may do that for us. It’s also not the done thing to say that you are amazing at such complex and challenging job. It is possible to be an incredible awesome parent whilst not being a perfect parent. That’s what I am 🙂

206. Thank you for showing us the way to be in a family Nicole

207. I agree,, Ariana, we are all in relationships always and living or working as a family or community together is a great place to learn about ones own emotions, hurts and reactions in order to let them go step by step.

208. The stand out theme in what you’ve shared here Nicole, is one of responsibility – we need not be perfect in any of our relationships, but we are all capable of taking a deep and responsible look at ourselves and the impact we have upon others. The changes we make in our own lives, and the way in which we choose to live, are felt in full by our children. We all hold a responsibility for inspiring the next generation, that life can indeed be lived with such a foundation of love, vitality and joy. It’s real, and thank-you for sharing you and your family’s living of it.

209. Seriously… if anyone finds reason to complain about such an approach to parenting and living in such an honouring relationship with our family and children, then they surely need to take a close look at their own life. What you have shared here Nicole is absolute gold, in times where so many struggle. Thank-you to you and your family.

210. One of the many ingrained beliefs that parents seem to hold, worldwide, is that they are doing a great job of parenting. This to me is evidence alone that beliefs systems are sinister and manipulative holding patterns that keep people away from feeling the truth of something.

211. It’s a very joyful to read and know of a family like this. The way in which you encourage the children to express how they feel and that they are equally included in family meetings is very supportive and empowering for them. What I have realised for myself looking back over my life is that as a child what I did not get a chance to express has been sitting in my body all this time waiting to come out. Honouring and expressing our feelings is so important for our present and future wellbeing.

212. This is great to read, true parenting leaves not traces of imposition on the children. Just a supporting environment to learn and be themselves.

213. I love re-reading this blog and looking at the picture of you all together as a family, and you really do feel together…but not in a way that excludes the rest of us, who are equally held in your hearts.

214. This is a beautiful testimony to what parenting and relationships offer us and I love the way your have shared about the fact that it is always developing and changing. For a long time I wanted there to be the perfect rule book that delivered all the answers; it is in parenting that I have learnt the absolute magic of letting go of any goal or end point and realising that the endless learning is the real point!

215. I love the deep appreciation in this blog! Appreciation of your family, appreciation of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, appreciation of life. Any family based upon true appreciation as you have demonstrated, is an evolving family!

216. Nicole you and your family is living a gorgeous example leading the way of true parenting, I am very inspired. It allows me to deeper accept my own past choices, consequences, present choices and stepping out of my own chosen limitations.

217. Our children are not just beings that have to learn everything because they’re only here for a few years. Nothing is more beside the truth than this. We all have had multiple lifes and so millions of experiences that we’re taking with us into this life. And so they also come accross (very) difficult and at times deeply painful moments. Only when we choose to deeply connect to them, we’re able to understand them and truly support them. Rather than ignoring the depth of what is taking place. I love to support children in their vulnerable moments and at the very least let them feel how much they’re love and treasured for the amazing beings they are!

218. “The changes in my own life and how I now live with this deep sense of regard for myself have allowed me to bring a deeper regard to my whole family, including how I parent my three children.” – I find too how foundational the quality of relationship that I have with myself is to all my other relationships.

219. Nicole, it’s lovely to read your appreciation of your family and how you treat your children as equals but offer them firm, loving guidance with the authority gained from your experience. It is vital that children be given the opportunity to express and be heard and this allows them to stay connected to their own feelings so they do not withdraw or shut down.

220. I had a light bulb moment yesterday when I realised that a lot of what I either say or do or equally what I don’t say or do, with my son is governed by a need to be liked by him. This need has prevented me from parenting in a way that I know to be truthful. I shared my realisation with my son and today feel so much freer to parent in a way that I know is true rather than one that is impulsed by what is not true. I feel much more able to bring in certain changes, now that I have identified what was getting in the way before.

221. Providing boundaries is a very loving thing for a child so long as it is done with consistency and firm guidance and not as set rules imposed upon the child. Parents have felt how harming it has been to impose rules but they have, in many cases, gone to the opposite extreme where there are no consistent boundaries which leaves a child feeling insecure and gives them permission to control and manipulate. This leads to many of the behavioural difficulties we see with children today.

222. Nicole the values and principles that you hold with your parenting are exactly what so many around the world call for today, when you look at the problems with Kids at home and School the addictions to Screens or the obesity levels one would think that rather than anyone condemn the care and love you parent your children with they would see that as a model that society should be inspired by.

223. Nicole you make a great point differentiating parenting to raising children. Parenting our children is about living in a way that inspires them to be themselves. There is nothing that we need to add to our children as they are already whole, they are born that way. We simply need to nurture their innate qualities and allow them to fully express from their essence. This to me is parenting.

224. What’s really awesome Nicole is that you’re teaching your children to be role models already, and the fact that they are so vibrant blows out of the water the belief that you need years of ‘experience’ and ‘accumulated knowledge’ to be an inspiration or role model for others.

225. Families are indeed great places to learn to communicate how we feel without reaction.

226. “The love we all share as a family (and with others) has grown immeasurably as a result of how our love has deepened from all we have learnt through Universal Medicine.” Hear, hear Nicole, I agree absolutely, as would the majority of people who study Universal Medicine would say too, the love we share now individually and collectively with our selves, our partners, family and friends has expanded in many, many ways we could never have imagined. Not the emotional, romantic needy kind of ‘love’, but real honest love, love that never lets anyone be less than who we truly are, continually appreciating our virtues and always ready to expose the choices that fall short of our innate qualities, something I never foresaw happening when I embarked on my first Universal Medicine workshop but how incredible that it has.

227. If others were to read this blog or meet you and your family, Nicole, there would be no question of the falsity of these claims, which not surprisingly are the exact opposite of what is true. No matter who we are, we cannot but recognise true love as it lives within us all.

228. Christmas day is fast approaching, a day of dread for many, as all of the things in our relationships with our family members, that we have chosen not to work on, are laid out on the decorative table for all to feel.

229. It is well known that role modeling is a strong part of a child’s development – when we role model loving ourselves, we teach our kids that they have worth and do matter so that they will grow up to love themselves in a world that would otherwise never tell them that this is important.

230. Such an exquisite blog Nicole. I feel deeply touched by you sharing so openly and intimately about the way your family choose to live. I imagine many parents reading this will be inspired to get to feel what is possible. As too will be many who don’t have children – as I have been.

     1. Which is gorgeous, Lucy, as a confirmation that we are all ‘parents’, responsible for the choices we make and the impact these have on our future generations.

231. This is written in such beauty, every word is tender and gentle. There’s no glorifying your lifestyle, no comparison, no judgement, just pure love and appreciation for your family. Absolutely gorgeous! ❤

232. A beautiful sharing and appreciation of your family and the revolutionary way of living you reflect for us all with true love, parenting and responsibility. It shows another way of living when we know what we have is not working for us and never has.

233. What an immense blessing for the world to have children being parented in a way where they are supported to their bones to be who they are, express whatever they feel and from day 1 experience that life is about love, brotherhood and evolution. That this may be recognised, accepted, appreciated and followed by many, many kids and parents. The future lived now!

234. Some of the changes I have made in my life over the past eleven years have been so gradual it is hard to pinpoint them, but when I look at pictures that reflect how my life was then and how I am now, the difference is significant. Throughout this period, apart from the obvious changes in my appearance from miserable and obese to joyful and slim, there are more subtle changes: my voice is less harsh, my movements more tender, and my ability to handle stressful situations much calmer. I am learning to let people in, to trust what I feel and to honour and express what I feel, so that my communications are no longer the ‘I am fine, I don’t need help, thanks.’ My children are now adults in their own right and have benefitted from the changes in me as I am understanding of their choices in life and can celebrate in full all their achievements as well as enjoying the beautiful people they are.

235. So inspiring Nicole! I love that the focus is really holistic, on the entire family and not just centred around the kids. You haven’t given your lives away to just bring up the kids, but rather are living in a way that supports you first and foremost which then assists in the raising of the children. What an awesome way to do it!

     1. I agree, what this reflects is that everyone in this family, child or adult, are equal i.e. equally honoured.

236. “What we share as a family reflects to me the importance of expression and communication, for what we share is a result of us all feeling supported in a space where we can share what we feel without holding onto or bottling things up, where we are able to work on not judging each other and on exposing any ideals or beliefs around how we think a true family should be or look.” This is a testament to you and your husband really committing to living in a way that requires honesty and truth as a minimum, I am very inspired.

237. Appreciating ourselves as parents is not something that is common. For me it can be so easy to look at my faults and at where I am not perfect. But if I look at the overall and bigger picture – wow!

238. ‘I take responsibility for each and every choice that impacts on my health and well-being and all my relationships.’ – Just imagine how our world would look if each and every human being did exactly that. It is no utopia – if one person or one family can do it, well, then we can all do it.

239. What a beautiful claiming of how you are parenting your children Nicole and how family life is as a result of living The Way of The Livingness.

240. I still find it to be crazy that making more loving and caring choices for ourselves and for our families draws criticism when so many harmful ways of living are simply accepted without question as being normal.

241. How rare it is to read such a beautiful appreciation of one’s own family – absolutely gorgeous!

242. A very loving and responsible way to raise kids.

     1. It certainly is Joe, what a gorgeous account of life lived in responsibility.

243. There’s no doubt that as your children grow older they’ll know to establish and trust what they feel is supportive and true rather than going along with what is the ‘norm’ (which it seems is becoming more self-damaging and irresponsible)

244. “As a family we live in a quality and a way that consistently reflects to each other that there is always more, that there are always others that are affected and impacted by the way we live, and that we all have a responsibility to live in a way that is true and considers everyone equally also.” Reading it made every cell in my body nod a resounding ‘yes’. This – sets a true foundation for the whole of society.

245. The attention to detail, the appreciation that every choice counts and has an impact on the family as a whole, no matter how insignificant others might consider them to be, is revolutionary to parenting and family life.

246. My kids are a little older, and we have been gifted through much of their upbringing, to have been supported by Serge Benhayon, his family, and our studies with Universal Medicine. The evidence is quite clear – we have two daughters that are a total knockout because they know who they are, they do not accept abuse from anyone else and are confident in themselves to express that. They have not succumbed to dulling themselves through the drinking or drugs scene that is so prevalent at the local school. And most of all its amazing to see them express themselves in full in what they are engaged with, at home, at school or at work. That genuine sense of purpose literally beams a light out into the world. I would say they are now role models for others on how it is possible to live.

247. I was at a presentation yesterday that was about the need to exercise, for what the body needs to maintain its self and about what we put into it to support these functions. The best comments and questions came from a very aware 7ish-year-old boy.

248. ‘As a family we live in a quality and a way that consistently reflects to each other that there is always more, that there are always others that are affected and impacted by the way we live, and that we all have a responsibility to live in a way that is true and considers everyone equally also’. This is beautiful Nicole. And even if our own families are not a reflection of this quality, we have a responsibility to continue to work towards this in the quality we bring and way in which we communicate with each other.

249. ‘We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them’ I love the way you discern between the two. Parenting children has a completely different note to it, one of responsibility, purpose and love.

250. It is very beautiful to feel the appreciation Nicole has for her family but I know this stems from a deep appreciation for herself for how can we truly appreciate another if we are not truly appreciating ourselves. This is what is being exposed and becoming clearer within me every day and even though at the moment I can feel a resistance to going deeper in the appreciation and love towards myself I know it is the way.

251. “I am married to an incredible, beautiful tender man, with 3 amazing beautiful children that I am forever appreciative of.” What an awesome opening sentence Nicole and the very fact that this is claimed with such joy is breaking new ground in this day and age. I know that this is not the fairy tale we imagine as kids, it takes commitment, a great deal of presence and love to achieve this within a family. I know that studying Universal Medicine is having this effect on many people’s relationships too, mine included. As we deepen our commitment to love our selves warts and all, it naturally builds our commitment to establish love within our homes, with our partners and with our children, laying a strong foundation of respect, integrity, openness and love, qualities that support us where ever we go.

252. Yes our children are born with their own agendas, their own personalities and their own ability to decide whether or not to take on what we try and impose/teach/impart to them, but boy oh boy is being a parent one of the most responsible jobs in the world.

253. “All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are” – how true Nicole, and how supportive of them to be full within themselves…to then become adults that present no need[iness] from anyone/anything especially for example, in the realm of professional working life, leading or managing teams of people and companies, where an already practiced and lived self-responsibility in childhood acts as a true role model in leadership to inspire others.

254. There is a myth in our society that to be a good parent you must sacrifice yourself, and many parents do not self care and get by with self medication and unhealthy “treats” this clearly does not work and Nicole you have really busted that myth. Living with love and care for self is a precursor to love and care for others, and it is the only way that is working.

     1. Nicole, your children are your best advertisement for your and your husband’s parenting. They are beautiful.

255. “to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be” what an amazing gift to parent children in a way that supports them to be who they are, it almost completely turns on its head the way we think we need to raise children, what parenting is all about and what matters most in life.

256. Is the basis of being a supportive, responsible parent treating yourself this way first?

257. This is really what we all crave.. being accepted and supported for who we are and treating others the same.

258. This is a most lovely blueprint for how to parent children! Thank you Nicole – very inspiring.

259. Serge Benhayon and his family have played a huge role in many people’s lives, reflecting in so many ways the qualities of a true family including open communication and expression not just with blood family members but with everyone, a level of honesty and commitment to bringing truth to every interaction that we have, making life about evolving all of humanity not just about ourselves and bettering our lives to name just a few.

260. They say to be a parent is to take up being responsible, well Nicole you have shown the extent to which you are willing to change your choices, living with integrity and nurturing yourself as the foundation for raising children. That is evolutionary in terms of the status quo and gives new meaning to the word ‘responsibility’.

261. The changes that are shared here for the better are incredible. I just read them for the third time and only now I let the words in and felt how profound, delicate and exquisite these changes are. Of course our parenting is from a better quality if we love and care for ourselves on a deeper level. After all, it’s not so much what we do on itself, but if what we do supports us to being ourselves or even support us to be even more of ourselves. How great is it for the children to be raised in a family with so much love.

262. I often get to witness and be around children who are being parented in this same way Nicole, and the difference in these kids to those who are being ‘raised’ is striking. These are children that are self assured, full of wisdom and maturity, appreciative of each other, joyful and content to play together, to play on their own, or to feel confident enough in themselves to walk alongside their elders and feel equal and at ease with who they are. These children are inspirational to other children and adults alike, and I not only do I feel blessed to know them, but also that these children are part of our future generation.

263. When my children were younger and I asked family and friends not to give them chocolate or lollies, it was like the adults had tantrums and not the children. So, adults who say ‘oh they are missing out’ or ‘poor kids’ are they really saying ‘there is no way I am giving up my treats!’? Instead of being inspired or interested many go into their hurts around how they have parented and the choices they have made for themselves, and then endeavour to bring down someone showing another, in most cases, a more loving way.

     1. Great comment Aimee, observing adults and myself in our reaction when something is presented and can be quite exposing. Being aware of what is actually going on and not reacting are key.

     2. Are these family and friend members doing this to get the look of adulation from the children for the treats?

264. I agree there is a difference between ‘raising’ children and ‘parenting’ them, as a parent I am also learning that parenting myself alongside my children is essential. Any hurts, issues, etc, I have a go at not burying and blaming and look at where that hurt or issue came from and heal it. And so I heal myself, I parent myself and in so doing I offer my children more of the real deal when it comes to parenting.

265. Reading this you can easily feel how active you are as parents – you actively get to know and understand your children for who they are and encourage them to be themselves in all areas of life.

266. ‘Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.’ I can so relate that to this. When I am not myself this adversely affects how my children feel and so they feel less than who they are in turn. When we all take the responsibility to not react but respond to one another we pull each other up. My children are no less capable of doing this than I am.

     1. ‘When I am not myself this adversely affects how my children feel and so they feel less than who they are in turn’. I agree Michelle. Accepting fully our responsibility as equal and constant points of reflection to all reminds us to not waiver from or drop our true purpose to evolve and support others to do the same.

267. What stands out for me about your blog Nicole is that your measure of having such an amazing family is not because everyone is healthy and happy, but because you share an ever-deepening bond of love that is developing and expanding constantly. It is because you are all part of something that grows and evolves each of you to be the potential of who you are, and to live this in the wider world. That is something rarely talked about, let alone lived. Thanks for sharing so openly how you live and what it is that makes you all so inspiring. To critique this can only come from jealousy and an outright effort to sully the otherwise gorgeous reflection you offer us all.

     1. I agree Jenny, what you get a sense of is a measure of success that is totally different to most parents measure of success. Most families want their children to be healthy, doing well at school, have friends and be sociable, doing lots of after school clubs and excel in something like science or sport or dance, and then to get good grades, a highly thought of degree and a well paid or well though of job like Lawyer, Doctor, Teacher, with a stable relationship or marriage and children, with enough money to provide comfortably for themselves. Sound like the perfect model family right? But there is no mention here of true love, of true purpose, of the children growing up to know without a doubt who they are and what the essence of who they are will bring to life, to love and care for themselves and in turn truly love and care for others, having deep, meaningful and evolutionary relationships rather than comfortable ones.

        1. Exactly Rebecca, that perfect model comes from the idea that our children belong to us and are our creation… hence why we get so upset when they don’t do well in life (by those measures). Understanding parenting from the perspective that we are responsible to showing them true love, purpose and responsibility is a whole different ball game. Much simpler in many ways, but a much trickier road to navigate when the majority of those around us are not on the same playing field.

        2. I agree, our markers and measures change – no longer do we need our children to have a good job and a relationship, it is the quality and evolution in the life of our children that is important.

        3. Agreed Rebecca, imagine growing up without the pressure to live up to our parents or societies expectations, knowing who we are and the value we bring simply by being that… first. That is the real responsibility of parenting…

268. A very inspiring read Nicole. Not only have you changed so much in your own life but you’re now raising three balanced and vital children. In today’s world so many parents are struggling to cope with parenting, and you are a great role model of how you can parent when you sort yourself out first.

269. Today I had the pleasure to spend time with a young family much like yours Nicole. And being surrounded by them and the relationships they had built I could see in all their playful discussions about dark and light in the world and where the lolly jars lived in the cupboard, each of them was there to teach each other something – there was an equality I hadn’t felt for a while. There was no moaning about tiresome behaviour, or niggling squabbles but an appreciation of what they all bring. The whole day reminded me when finely tuned to Love, a family becomes the greatest vehicle for our learning.

270. I am not a parent but I have seen and do observe children of those who attend presentations by Serge Benhayon. What I see is children who are vital and mature, wise beyond their years because their innate knowing of who they are has been nurtured. They ‘blow me away’ with how they buck the trends of their peers with self-loving choices in their lives – something I wish I had chosen when I was their age, rather than having to clear away the ‘debris’ of my less wise paths now in later life. Yes, their choices are different – but in a world where obesity, self-harm and cyber-abuse are commonplace amongst our young people, perhaps different is precisely what is called for.

271. “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be” This is massive, to let go of all those expectations and desires of what we want our children to be and to become, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and so, and just allow who they really are to emerge, supported, appreciated and complete in the world. What is guaranteed is that whatever they choose to do, they will do so with all their love, ability and commitment, strong in the knowing that respectful, loving relationships are the fundamental ingredient of life.

272. ” What we share as a family reflects to me the importance of expression and communication…..”
     How many families are not anymore communicating truth, have themselves arranged with the things which need to be done and avoid true intimacy. It is inspirational to read about the focus on communication, intimacy and truth you have in your family, Nicole.

     1. Kerstin, I am one of those people who made the limited communication that i did have within my family all about what ‘needed to be done’ rather than about developing intimacy. Since realising this I have been taking baby steps towards developing more intimate relationships with my family. What it has really brought home to me, is how protected so many of us are and how that protected way of being has become common place. A life in protection and a life of intimacy are literally worlds apart.

273. Beautiful to hear you declare your appreciation of your gorgeous husband and beautiful children, Nicole.

274. Wouldn’t all children love to be brought up in the way you describe, Nicole? The cyber-bullies can’t deny that fact, they can only make up lies to try and bury the truth.

275. Sounds and feels like a deeply loving family you have Nicole, inclusive, expressive and forever supportive towards the unfolding of each member’s own truth. Glorious.

276. What we have available to us is vast and we choose the quality of this through the quality of energy we hold in our body everyday and it is from this quality that all our movements and interactions with others come from. My observation of what is being shared here is that the choices you are making are so natural to the body and way of living that it is actually re-connecting to what is true and known. Your commitment in the face of much opposition from the world is inspirational and deeply appreciated as what you are offering is a reflection from which others may come to know and experience the same. Thank you Nicole.

277. Living with responsibility is key. I find that in parenting it is a very delicate line between enforcing a child to be responsible, and letting them learn responsibility for themselves, through mistakes and the lessons these give.

278. Thank you Nicole for sharing your lives and the beauty of your family it is a real inspiration and joy to read.
     “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be; to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.”

279. So beautiful Nicole, I simply love it so much to read your blog about parenting.. Seeing it done so differently, inspires me.. Especially what you said about how I am parenting is what is felt in the whole of humanity, or something a long these lines.. Incredible insight and so true. Plus well said: “So, call Universal Medicine whatever you like, I know in my heart The Way of The Livingness is the only way, and our family lives, breathes and is True Religion.”
     Thank you!

280. Why is it that so many of us see our families as somehow different to the rest of life? So often we lump them in this kind of second class citizen category, which seems to give us the freedom to discount them, disrespect them and dishonour them. We write them off as ‘just family’. I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the main reasons why so many people have difficult relationships with family members; we are given the opportunity in every lifetime to heal our relationships within our families and if we don’t take the opportunity to do so, then we get the same opportunity in our next lifetime. So what we are basically getting reflected is that the majority of us are not taking up the opportunity to work on the specific themes that get hand picked for us to work on within our families.

281. True parenting is all about responsibility and that is what most of us do not like to acknowledge.

282. It’s interesting how if you don’t fit in with what everyone else is doing that you’re seen as odd. But following the pack if the pack is off course isn’t the way. Surely having joyful and healthy children is what matters and if that means not following the pack with the use of technology or eating mood affecting foods then that’s what matters.

283. As a parent that thought that they were doing a fantastic job at parenting, I know first hand what a total illusion this can be. The illusion, as with any illusion, is borne out of beliefs, (a belief being an idea that does not come from truth). Illusions can not be easily dispelled by anyone other than the holder of the belief and what dispels beliefs is the truth and another word for truth is love.

284. It’s great to read how your conscious choice to care for yourselves and the entire family as a whole has a focus and purpose. That of integrity and responsibility to all aspects of care, nurturing and well-being. Just the extent that electronic devices alone are used so freely at very young ages indicates that many parents are opting to turn off their conscious connection to their children and support their checking-out for a while everyday. In effect switching children on and off on demand. What’s to be truly appreciated is that your consciously choosing to stay connected with your children and not looking to escape the responsibility and commitment chosen.

285. Simple, straight to the point. Thanks for sharing Nicole, even though by all rights you should not have to make such a public claim. But such has become the internet, as reservoir of misinformation, that such statements of simple truth are necessary to clear the air.

286. How supportive to be born into a family like this, with parents that take the time to nurture and love their children and not just feed them what ever is convenient – food wise and otherwise. These kind of children are our future, they will be the leaders of society of tomorrow.

287. What you’ve written here is so deeply nurturing. I can feel the quality of parenting with love. I love how you mention it is not about perfection as it’s helping me understand that the imperfections of life can simply be points of evolution which, when acknowledged and addressed, become part and parcel of the foundation one can build that is taken with us always.

288. In so many families from a very young age we learn to not speak up with what is really going on for us. We bottle up what we feel because we are not brought up in an environment where expression is encouraged or understood. Nicole, what you have shared here is that your family has a deep level of openness, trust and expression that lays a firm foundation for your children to know that this depth of connection is their ‘normal’ in which they will take with them into all of their relationships as they grow up. Now that is super cool!

289. The Way of the Livingness is what inspired me to change my life from being on a benefit and not being responsible and being a pretty un loving parent to who I am today. Before coming to Universal Medicine to be honest, my life was a mess and I didn’t really care, and that had a major effect on my parenting. Today things are completely different. I own a home, I work and I provide for my daughter. I live as a role model and no longer drink because life sucks because I can’t be bothered to do anything about it. I now make things happen, I am no longer a victim of circumstance. With such high rates of unemployed people living on benefits, I sure am glad not to be one of those statistics anymore.

290. Nicole as you share; “The way we live in our home does not just affect us, but affects everyone around us” reminds me of how much responsibility we all hold yet how I grew up thinking what happens at home is behind closed doors and no one knows. How wrong could I have been? The fact is, as you say, everything we do within our home affects how we are with everyone and has an impact on all those around us. This brings a whole new level of responsibility to life.

291. ‘Our children have their moments as do any of us; no one is perfect, nor do we expect them to be, but we do provide boundaries and consistency, and in the love they feel it does not take much for them to come back to themselves and leave their tantrums behind.’ – It makes a huge difference for children to be met with boundaries and consistency as opposed to judgment, reaction and punishment or the opposite, indifference and boundlessness. Boundaries and consistency allows children to feel safe and seen.

292. That is quite a transformation Nicole and it all started with you bringing in love and care for yourself and taking this and your deepening understanding of life to your family. And now what you share daily with humanity is an inspiration.

293. Thanks, Nicole. Supporting children to be and express who they naturally are without imposing any ideals or beliefs onto them is the greatest gift.

294. Simply awesome what you share here with us all Nicole, and the happy vibrant, glowing photos of your family support everything you have shared……

295. As a relatively new parent I’m inspired by what you’ve written here. While my wife and I have made many of the same choices your family has, it’s wonderful to read how a life of self love, commitment and responsibility plays out for children. It is a new, yet perhaps very old, way to parent. After all, these little babies arrive with so much wisdom, joy and stillness – why would we not foster that and even be inspired by it ourselves. Lovely blog, thank you.

296. When we can connect to ourselves and purpose in life rather than just making it about function, we make it much easier to deal with the tension between what we know to be true/the love that we are and the way we have been taught to make life all about security. This eases the intensity on family life and in the raising of our children as our children are not then encouraged to repeat this cycle who are much more free in the space created to simply be themselves.

297. Quite often these days we see children who have dark circles around their eyes or clear signs of some allergy showing on their faces, but the children in these photos look vital, and if this is as a result of true parenting then it is easy to see what is working and what is not.

298. For some people parenting means making sure your children are clothed and fed, but there is so much more to it than that. Nicole has shown us how true love can be there in every aspect of their lives, ‘We are not perfect and neither are our children, however they are deeply loved and it is because of the love we hold ourselves in and correspondingly the love we are then able to hold them in, that we are choosing to raise them in the way we do.’ Beautiful.

299. Nicole this is a parenting book in itself: How to raise children and not change who they are, the choices you have made are inspiring, and I have no doubt will continue to inspire.

300. This journey from complete disregard and irresponsibility is enormous and is not a one off story either. Climbing out of the alcohol and drug habits is one miracle, returning to the full, vital and beautiful woman you are today Nicole is another. The quality of your current relationships and family life is the result of the real dedication to love that you have all made life about, inspired by the Ancient Wisdom presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. You and many other families who study with Universal Medicine are setting the benchmark for family life: vital, connected, honest, loving, not perfect by any means, but real, engaged and caring. And your focus is not just about the nuclear family, but the wider community as well, establishing a true foundation of care, respect and integrity within the immediate family that is then carried into the bigger family every single day.

301. Parenting can be a whole different experience when we truly nurture and look after ourselves first. This key ingredient is the glue that holds and binds a family together in true love.

302. The families that I know who have made choices to live in a way which honours their bodies as presented by Universal Medicine are inspiring to be around and it is gorgeous to see children being parented in a way which supports them to remain connected and loving in a world which as yet is anything but.

303. Thank you, Nicole, for this testimony – inspiring and confirming in bucketfuls – I will be back to read it again.

304. A beautiful testimonial of another way of parenting that to me sounds so lovely and a way I would have liked to be parented when I was young. I can sense the power of having families like you describe, which are geared to provide a space for every member to prosper and evolve, in which there is an understanding that we are part of a society and that we have a responsibility to deliver our part to it to the best of our ability and how beautiful this would be if all families would parent their children like this. You would be amazed at what that would bring to our society, it would turn into a joyful place in which we are playful and to support one another in our evolution.

305. I was growing up with all the right and wrongs – honestly that was not a great joy. Therefore I love it what you wrote about parenting your kids Nicole: “All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are.” Imagine we all would parenting, teaching and living like this -I am sure the world would look differently.

306. What we are offered through the teaching of ‘The Way of The Livingness’, is nothing short of evolutionary when it comes to parenting (amongst many other things). I too am eternally grateful for what has been shared, shown and lived before me when it comes to parenting. I have changed immensely in many wonderful ways because of this, and my family are reaping the rewards.

307. When you list how you live, Nicole, it sounds completely unbelievable yet I have seen it and it is true.

308. Thanks to the inspiration of Serge Benhayon and his family, I have come to know that family is more than just blood and an obligation to love those born with your name – it is an expression of true love, care and evolution together – it is this purpose and love that binds a family, not blood alone.

309. What a gorgeous reflection you and your family offer for what it means to live, express and love with open hearts and open arms. Thank you Nicole, absolutely beautiful.

310. Those accusations that you mention Nicole, that have been disseminated in an attempt to poison opinion towards any parent associated with Universal Medicine, could not be further from the truth. Parenting practiced by you and others, that truly encourages children to live all that they are, without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be, is the most loving and nurturing base any child could ever have.

     1. I really feel it is so toxic to go around accusing people, in your case they have never met you and they accused you as being a neglectful parent. I find it is the worst type of maliciousness, as it is the sort of thing that really could get under your skin with fear of what could happen. To the testament of the parents in the community of Universal Medicine no one I know has backed down, people have only stepped up to what is required, and that is to love ourselves more and deepen our relationships with ourselves, our families and everyone.

        1. That is a great point Vanessa and one that speaks volumes in itself for the integrity in, and commitment to parenting within the Universal medicine community; “no one I know has backed down, people have only stepped up to what is required, and that is to love ourselves more and deepen our relationships with ourselves, our families and everyone.”

311. Not only has my understanding of true family changed since being offered the opportunity to feel this for myself but so has my own relationships deepened with everyone in my own family, with far more appreciation.

312. On the contrary to online accusations, the way you describe parenting is anything but depriving. Being able to convey the essence of nurture, love and care through your writing, has to come from living this way. Really… how can living with care and love be criticised?

313. ‘encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be’. This is huge – parenting is not shaping our children, but ensuring they hold their true shape, without contorting themselves to fit into life.

314. To bring children up without the revolving pantry or fridge doors is a true blessing, especially today when everybody gets themselves saturated with coke and sugary food, from breakfast cereals to lollies, biscuits and cakes.

315. I’ve never read the following with so much clarity and simplicity “after making adjustments to our own diets and feeling the benefits and true vitality that came from not eating foods that contain these ingredients.”. Before I was connected to Universal Medicine I didn’t have a clue about the huge importance food plays in feeling our body very light and loving. Nothing is more special (and natural) than feeling my body while doing what I do. And from the loving and nurturing way of being with myself I am able to parent my daughter in a way that I would never ever thought of would be possible. I cherish both myself and her deeply so. Everyday a little more.

316. Nicole this is so inspiring to read and yet should be the norm naturally connecting with each other in the way that you do. But it’s not the norm as we all know and more of a rarity. This brings up tension for women, men, parents that are not living this with themselves or with their children and jealousy can fester. Understanding that we can learn from this tension and be inspired by others that are bringing this up for us, it would be a whole different story and no backlash or weird looks.

317. One of the greatest myths is that we can love our children, or indeed anyone else for that matter. Love is not something that can be directed at another, it is an emanation that comes from the love that we generate in our relationship between us and ourselves, it is therefore not able to be directed or calibrated.

318. Nicole knowing what Universal Medicine provides it is so strange to consider that anyone could write things that say the child are ““deprived of nurturing and responsible parenting in the name of ‘healing’ and ‘self-love’.”” not only does that contradict itself but the diet that all the kids eat is what they feel to eat and is exactly what all the medical professionals are trying to get the entire world to eat, healthy and nutritious meals.

319. True Jane, there is so much inspiration – everyone should have access to this.

320. When my child was young our diet consisted of everything, then I studied nutrition in New Zealand and things really changed over time, eliminating things that really didn’t work for us. For a while it was no dairy, no gluten and no processed sugar. Now that my daughter is a teenager she has reached an age where she chooses for herself and she often eats foods that I wouldn’t touch with a bar pole but what I love is she knows how they make her feel, as in “I feel so bloated, I feel sick” etc and she knows what effects it has on her body and this is because she has had the opportunity to eat well and feel what is like in her body. With this knowledge she makes her own choices.

321. The changes you describe is a living miracle Nicole and you can easily see the the vitality you and your family hold. No amount of lies can hide the truth of the fact you are beautiful and engaged in the world.

322. ‘..we are able to work on not judging each other and on exposing any ideals or beliefs around how we think a true family should be or look.’ – This would sound like utopia for most people, which is why it is so very important to be shared.

323. We now have whole families that can shine and be role models for other families thanks to the Benhayon’s. We seem to be living in an age of the dysfunctional family so it’s great to see exceptions to the rule popping up and leading the way out of what has become normal.

     1. So true Kevin, there is a another way of parenting needed in our societies but when there is no love they will not find the ‘solution’. Families like described in this blog provide the reflection for that other way that is worth while to consider. Just only from seeing the pictures, for me they speak already for themselves, people can be inspired to go this way and in that will experience the beauty that it brings for themselves.

324. Our children deserve to be parented. This is our responsibility and one that we ignore to our own and our children’s determent.

325. ‘Our children are forever a point of reflection, and they are always teaching and calling for me to live all that I am, and in that livingness they can also live all that they are.’ – it has been very humbling for me to let go of the mis-conception that because I am a parent, I ‘know’ more. That most clearly is not the case and it never ceases to amaze me what awesome teachers my children are and the wisdom they offer.

326. It’s gorgeous to read this and feel the bucket load of appreciation you have for your family Nicole.

327. ‘We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be’, this feels like true parenting. We do not own our children, we are their caretakers, to love and support them as they learn how to be their glorious selves in this life.

328. “Our children are all born gentle, loving, tender and precious, and why should any of that change as they begin to grow and become young adults?” So very true, and yet we learn that we need to be formed to fit into life and once that has been accomplished we then need therapies and strategies to cope with life as we have lost our natural understanding of the world and the universe and simply being, impulsed by the truth of who we are.

329. Our children offer us much to reflect on, and there is no denying that they pick up on the ways that we behave as adults. So if our children are not behaving as we would like them to, is this not an indication that we need to look at our own behaviour? Nicole you are giving us a beautiful and inspiring example of how it is possible to truly parent children, thank you.

330. It’s really powerful to offer kids the opportunity to say what foods and drinks make them feel racy, bloated, full, tired and so forth, so they can learn that how their body feels and their own vitality is much more important than any food or treat, and that they can look after themselves

331. The reflection that you and your family offer to all is beautiful to feel and so needed – I was reading an article earlier where parents were sharing how if they had their life again they would choose not to be parents because of the toll that it has taken on them. What you are offering is a way to stay true to yourselves and parent from this place and not out of neediness or ideals and beliefs about what a ‘family’ should look like.

332. “For us a big part of living a life that is true is to support the body to be light – not feel weighed down, bloated, imposed upon by outside stimulants or distractions –” Its beautiful to see the transformation when the focus of life shifts in the way you describe; far from being discontent, the joy is easy to feel from your writing and can be clearly seen through your photos. Nicole, you mark the way forward for us all as an example of a living way that brings harmony instead of conflict.

333. I am beginning to understand that even though I do not have physical children of my own, I am still a parent to 1000’s of children I see and teach every day, not to mention those who see me, anywhere from in a supermarket to walking down a street. This is part of the responsibility I am to live, as I am not doing this in full, yet.

334. Parenting – such a big topic to talk about so thanks Nicole for going there and talking about it and sharing some of your experiences of it. I agree one of the most confronting things for me as a parent is the understanding that there is in fact no time off, even when I am not with my children physically at work or when they go to bed at night, I am still responsible for them and what I choose to do and think even in these times effects my ability to parent them well and the level of connection I have with everyone including my own immediate family.

335. Is it possible that out bodies are innately harmonious and work better without all the forms of stimulation we seem to think they need? This has been a revelation to me, in our ‘I need my coffee’ culture – or something else to ‘get us through the day’. What if our bodies do not need such things at all and function beautifully without them. In fact, what if when we give our bodies things they do not need, we give them work to do eliminating that which is not needed and hence have less energy as a result? True in my experience for sure.

336. I wonder how many women in the world live like you did Nicole in overwhelm bouncing from one problem to another and using all the coping mechanisms you can find to get through the day. I know I made a decision not to have children because I felt I was not coping with my own life prior to Universal Medicine, I was managing it but not truly living it. What you show here Nicole is that it is possible to turn your life around and in doing so you have been able to offer your children a true foundation to grow from. Children know what love is and anything less than this can have a knock on effect for the rest of their lives.

337. Nicole, gorgeous to re-read your blog, it is beautiful that you are sharing how your family live. I find it deeply inspiring to read and find this very supportive, ‘to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.’ Reading this helps me let go of trying to control my son and having an idea of how I want him to be.

338. ‘My life was previously one of constant chaos and overwhelm, mostly due to, actually all due to, the choices I was making, however today my life is completely the opposite of that, in which I take responsibility for each and every choice that impacts on my health and well-being and all my relationships.’ My life also used to be chaotic and overwhelming because of the choices I was making and I am now well on the road to living the complete opposite of that. What I have noticed though is that it is easy enough to slip back into a life of chaos or overwhelm if we do not take responsibility and care for our choices in each and every moment. As each choice and moment leads to the next choice and moment, nothing by accident or chance.

339. Beautiful Nicole. The way you are parenting your family should be the norm, not the exception. If every parent was as committed and responsible, the world would be a very different place.

340. “… when we step out of our front door we take these choices and our way of life to all of humanity” This sentence alone speaks volumes for the level of integrity and responsibility that you lead your life with Nicole. How we live within our homes establishes the foundations of how we relate to, work with and contribute to the community we live in, not the other way round. What becomes a natural way of being at home, discussing, observing, growing and expanding together then becomes a natural way of being throughout all one does, a consistent expression of one life. Universal Medicine is a superb ”Life, The Universe and Everything” guide to true living and the fruits of its labour are clearly evident in families such as yours Nicole, who walk out into the world knowing that everything that happens inside the home has an impact on everything outside the home and actually cares a great deal about the quality of the effects you carry forth.

341. As the Benhayon family is a living role model of a family, which is loving, supportive, enhancing and leading the way for humanity so, too, is your family Nicole

342. An awesome blog to deeply ponder on, to be inspired and to appreciate. As a parent of three children myself, the relationship I have with myself sets the foundation for my relationships with all the members in my family. If I am feeling below par it has an effect on my family or if I choose to not feel and read situations this has an impact on me and my family. Every choice made affects those around and beyond in one way or another.

343. Hearing about other families and observing life around me it is amazing what you are able to live as a family together. That there is no need to check out in iPads or with food is mostly unheard of. It is indeed the way you live as parents that gets reflected to your children and by which you can truly parent your children with an example that is living the things you want for your children for yourself first.

344. I love the way you describe the foundation stones of your parenting Nicole. In reading them I can see these are qualities we all have inside and that we all deserve the same nurturing in the end. A great sense of equality comes across from your family, for it is clear you are all here to teach each other about Love. I feel the same goes for the rest of humanity.

345. Thank you Nicole, you show through your sharing how parenting our children certainly has to begin with the way we self care and parent ourselves.

     1. Well said Johanne and I would add that what we will come to remember is that ‘every-thing, in fact comes from the way that we self care and parent ourselves’.

346. Very inspiring Nicole, and how you distinguish raising and parenting children, I can feel in this and in your approach a very active lived way which is about everyone, children and parents, and how each impacts the other and their wider world. You also have me asking myself as an adult how I parent myself because it doesn’t stop when we grow up, life is a constant evolution asking what’s next, and feeling how we can support each other in that. So thank you for sharing your gorgeous family with us, I can feel the joy of all of you in how you write and your photos.

347. Nicole one of the many things that struck me about your family is how fresh and alive the relationships feel. I know from my own experience that there can often be the opposite feeling within families, a rather stagnant feeling of repetition. I would suggest that the feeling of repetition does not ever come solely from one family but from hundreds of generations of families that have repeated set ways of being over thousands of years. At times it feels very much like we’re all sleep walking.

348. My life is now amazing too! It is because of everything I have became aware of since attending the Universal Medicine events, the students I have interacted and have relationships with, and my own development from taking responsibility for the awareness I now choose and live under. Before this, my life could have improved or looked better but the quality of the way I was living was never honoured. I have everything to be thankfull for and my love grows daily for myself, that gracious man Serge Benhayon, and my extended family, humanity.

349. There are ingrained ideals and beliefs around pretty much every single aspect of life and they all serve to hold us in patterns of behaving that keep us from living in a truthful way. There are an unlimited array of different beliefs worldwide around parenting and families, many of which get handed down from generation to generation, without ever being questioned. These beliefs lock people into behavioural holding patterns that ensure that certain movements are repeated, which, in turn ensure that the beliefs get re-confirmed in the body and so it continues.

350. Very inspiring to read Nicole. Technology unfortunately is raising many children today. I was having lunch the other day and a mum at the table next to me took the computer device off her young child, who was about 4 years old, so she could eat her lunch. The reaction from the child was extreme, she screamed incredibly loudly until the mother gave in, even though it was clear she was upset. It takes loving commitment to truly parent and it may not be easy, however when you look at the results, they speak for themselves. Thank you for sharing.

351. Nicole I completely agree with your comment that “I know in my heart The Way of The Livingness is the only way, and our family lives, breathes and is True Religion.” This is the same for myself and my family and our choice to make this our way has transformed our lives to being full of richness, warmth and love.

352. How different society would be if the majority parented their children in this way, remaining consistent and committed to taking responsible and loving care of themselves and each other and being this type of role model for their children, instead of the attitude of ‘don’t do what I do, do what I say’. A wonderful inspiring example of how a loving family life can be and the photos are simply a reflection of the obvious joy the children and you all live in.

353. Nicole – as a new parent I really appreciate reading your blog and the way in which you are raising your children – empowering them to make their own choices but also knowing as parents what supports them and what does not. The way you raise them – with food, technology, conversations and relationships – sounds super loving, and it is interesting how this gets questioned because it is not ‘normal’ in the sense that there is lots of sugary food, dulling out on TV, not having loving conversations – so this is a very cool reflection to so many of us on how we can raise our kids.

354. How powerful and inspiring “where we are able to work on not judging each other and on exposing any ideals or beliefs around how we think a true family should be or look.”. This makes me wonder what my ideals, beliefs and pictures actually are around a family and of my own role that I am to play within family. I’ve never actually really looked at it, but definitely feel that there’re quite some to be exposed. I will start talking about it as I do not really know how to start at this present moment. Thank you for sharing.

355. Your children look so healthy and that is something that we would all want as parents. I often see children that are obese and or pale and you can clearly see the nutritional deficiencies that are common for children who are brought up on fast food, white bread and cheese. I understand why so many choose this, as they know no different, as did I before I studied nutrition. Also, eating healthy is a lot more expensive than eating a poor diet that is cheap.

     1. I am not so sure about that Amina. In Australia and in fact in a lot of places around the world where I have lived, I have noticed that a loaf of white bread for a $1 is a reason why so many people eat it. If you wanted the multi grain version or even the gluten free version you are looking at $6. Sure, not everyone eats bread but it is very common.

356. ‘My life was previously one of constant chaos and overwhelm, mostly due to, actually all due to, the choices I was making, however today my life is completely the opposite of that, in which I take responsibility for each and every choice that impacts on my health and well-being and all my relationships.’ – To come to an understanding that our situation is a result of our own choices, gives a real opportunity for change. One choice at the time.

357. To develop or come back to principles that truly serve every member of the family and therefore humanity to be themselves as the innately glorious being everyone is instead of being dictated to by the rights and wrongs of society, is a way of parenting (living) that originates in a general or absolute truth that is equal for everyone, even when this truth may not be consciously known and recognised by everyone and hence can be rejected or criticized at times as it exposes the false principles one seeks to hold onto and protect.

358. Inspirational Nicole in every way; changing how we live changes everything and brings an honest loving way in every part of our lives equally to one of true harmony simplicity and responsibility. The reflection of your family is much needed in a world of abuse, violence, domestic abuse, child abuse, suffering and so so much more. True family as you share and the inspiration from Serge Benhayon his family and Universal Medicine is the living way and example for us all.

     1. Yes, such a family is quite a role model, showing that it is possible even for those whose life may currently be much less than optimal.

359. To nurture a family with the understanding and wisdom you have shared Nicole, is to support all of humanity with the grounding of living in harmony as one family

360. Remembering we are custodians of our children is an important way to view our relationship with them… we as parents are there to be a reflection of honesty, integrity, love, joy and responsibility.

     1. How true Paula, our children are our future, and it is our responsibility to live a true reflection.

361. Your photos say it all Nicole… each one of you full of vitality and joy, and allowing each other to be yourselves – very inspiring to see and feel a family in this way.

362. What you describe your life to be like with previous choices is the same as many people choose to live. Thinking the chaos, ill-health and all life issues are just how it is. The inspiration of your current choices is incredibly important, knowing there is another way to live our everyday life with vitality and deepening love and connection with people, family and everyone. It’s an exposing moment for someone when they have difficulty with our self loving and honouring choices.

363. I know many children raised by parents who are students of Universal – I myself was a part of the student body from the age of 9. All of the familes and children I know are some of the most amazing, level headed, mature and responsable young people I know, but also so fun loving and full of life.

364. What an inspiring story of family life Nicole. Thank you for sharing how it can be.

365. “Our children are all born gentle, loving, tender and precious, and why should any of that change as they begin to grow and become young adults? All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are.” Yes, why should any of that change? This way of living works, I have seen it for myself and am attempting to live it that way myself. I have adult children and though they were not parented in this way the love and care I am bringing to myself, my ability to observe and hold and not react has been instrumental in beautiful changes occurring in all of us without any trying. When I reflect back this could be seen as a miracle yet it ought to be everyday normal. For me it is now beginning to feel that way. All down to the beautiful example of the Benhayon family.

366. Very rarely if ever have I seen parenting tips that involve the parents looking after themselves better. Yet what better way to parent than to be a role model that makes healthy choices, for children are like sniffer dogs for hypocrisy and if we want the best outcomes for them in terms of health and well-being then making similar choices for ourselves is an absolute essential.

367. Beautiful blog Nicole, I am right there with you, The Way of The Livingness is the only way for me. The love and reflection of Serge Benhayon inspires so many, including myself. Thank you for sharing your family and way of living, what great role models you are for family life.

368. Thank you Nicole for sharing with us all what true parenting is all about, and that is to support children to be who they truly are for them to get to know for themselves the love and joy that is so natural for all us and to live it to the fullest everyday in every way.

369. This is an amazing testament of you and your family. It is beautiful to feel the harmony in the way you are living. Thank you Nicole.

370. “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be; to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.” This statement says so much Nicole, it is clear there is a freedom to be themselves, un imposed upon by picture, ideals, traditions or beliefs. It offers them the choice to be responsible and understand what responsibility is. It confirms that they already come in with everything they will ever need to be and in this, it honours their innate essence and wisdom. You share that you are custodians, knowing that each of us therefore ultimately holds a responsibility for any child in our community.

371. Our children definitely are a point of reflection as, if sometimes my daughter is behaving in a certain way, say she is being very stubborn about something and if I honestly look at how I have been I can see that I have been stubborn also.

372. It’s very sad when no-one bats an eyelid when children are being fed junk food and left zoning out in front of the TV, but when someone is truly taking good healthy care of their kids it is somehow seen as a kind of crime and raises suspicions. To me that is Unbelievable.

373. This is one of the few living examples of family living in such a way where there is actually a love and a commitment to that love that grounds and holds it all together. Very unique and well worth celebrating!

374. What a powerful reflection you and your family are Nicole.

375. It’s amazing that the choices we makes as adults about how we live our life have a positive influence on children, parenting is more than what we say it is the truth of how we lived that is always felt.

376. There is no denying the joy of living our true and natural way and this is reflected deeply in your children’s faces.

377. Nicole has given us all a beautiful reflection of what parenting can be, and indeed how it should be, for it is the way that is natural to human beings before they are influenced by all the surrounding impacts of the world we have created around us. I wonder why anyone would prefer the old conventional way of child rearing, (how I was “reared” — in utmost discipline, so that I never knew how to self regulate or take initiative or responsibility) than the loving and gentle but firm and guiding encouragement that The Way of the Livingness offers us.

378. It is a joy spending time with yourself and your family Nicole.

379. Food, exercise, religion, parenting…all sacred ground for many. It can be a risk to go against the traditional paradigms but sometimes, change is what is needed and society is calling out for change

     1. So correct, Joel. The call is very loud and families like Nicole’s are answering the call and presenting a different way, which from the results can be seen in the reflection of the children as being one that is beneficial.

380. I really like that you do not feed your kids any thing other then what you eat your self. Given we do not eat certain foods for a very good reason, why would we feed these same foods to our kids who are just as sensitive, if not more so then we are ?

381. The photos of the children are heart meltingly beautiful! Congratulations on supporting both yourselves and the children to live with such love and joy. Very deeply inspiring to read of the way you live and support one another as a family, and very healing to know families can be this way.

382. What a beautiful blog Nicole – so truly inspiring and heart warming to feel the joy that you bring to the world.

383. This is beautiful to read Nicole. There is such peer pressure on us as parents, to ‘allow’ our children to have and to do certain things, and on our children too, whether it is with food, the clothes they wear or the latest game or piece of technology. And if they are not part of the current culture they/we are considered odd or even mean. But what you are showing us here is that nothing can replace true love when it comes to parenting our children and it is inspiring to read your story. I come across a lot of parents who are quite happy to sit and talk to each other or be on their i-phones while their children run riot, ignored by their parents. All the kids want is to be truly met, but this does not seem to happen too often.

384. It is so gorgeous meeting children of Universal Medicine students, because they are calm, confident, and not afraid to say anything. There is a refreshing honesty about them and no trying to please, for they know they are already everything, they feel loved and know that they are love, and when you look into their eyes you can feel all of that, it’s beautiful.

385. Thank you for sharing your appreciation of the way your family are choosing to live and within that the parenting choices you are making. I love how you share that ‘Making the choice to parent our children has been a constant, forever unfolding path, one that we are always adjusting and discussing as a family.’ which demonstrates how open you are to exploring what is needed next and how everyone is included in the decisions. How many families can truly say that? I grew up in a family where the decisions were made for me and I constantly rebelled because I felt that no-one was listening to me and what I felt was true for me. Supporting children to stay true to their essence avoids so many of the problems that are currently so prevalent in our society for which we are paying a high price and not just in monetary terms but also in physical and mental ill-health.

386. ‘it is because of the love we hold ourselves in and correspondingly the love we are then able to hold them in, that we are choosing to raise them in the way we do’ – This is a revolutionary way to parent Nicole; to see the importance of setting an example and knowing that in order to love our children in full we must first love ourselves and partners in this case. Children are super sensitive and can pick up on disharmony from a mile away, and if parents choose to be this way with each other it influences the standard of what that child will accept for potentially the rest of their lives.

387. ‘During that 17 years my life has changed enormously: I have gone from drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking marijuana, being extremely ill, having absolutely no vitality and being majorly underweight to being and feeling alive, vital, healthy, no longer moody or needing any form of stimulant to get me through the day.’ When you look at where you were and compare it with where you are now in the quality in which you have written this blog you would barely recognise you as the same person. The commitment to life you now share in your sense of purpose and joy is a truly remarkable turn around.

388. It is dangerous to suggest that something is wrong because it goes against ‘the norm’ in life because that assumes that ‘the norm’ is right, true and healthy. Yet ‘the norm’ today is very different from ‘the norm’ I grew up with 40-50 years ago. Today, cases of cancer and diabetes are much more prevalent. Today obesity is a huge issue (pardon the pun). Today illegal drug use is so much more evident – and this is just for starters. Are we going to get to a point where we say that our children are being neglected because they are not smoking cannabis or having sex at 10 years old? Or underweight because the vast majority of people are in fact overweight if not obese? What we consider normal today has shifted big time through my life and it is not a true measure of health and well-being.
     Parents like Nicole are making an important choice that comes from a loving relationship first with themselves that then becomes a loving way with their children. I have seen such parental relationships first hand and seen some amazing children as a result who are ‘bucking the trends’ of our youth today; trends which are not pretty and do not portray a generation of people who are loving with themselves but are deeply troubled. Something needs to change and I applaud Nicole and Universal Medicine for the loving way – The Way of The Livingness – it offers as a real alternative to ‘the norm’ we have created for ourselves.

389. You only have to spend a very short time with the Benhayon family to see that the way they live works. In the past I have felt uncomfortable because I was jealous of what I observed as the love they hold for each other is absolutely clear, there are no issues, jealousies or tensions between them quite the opposite is true.

390. This is a beautiful testimony to the art of true parenting and the inspiration that Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine offers. The results speak for themselves and there is nothing here to prove only to show.

391. Nicole, the way you describe family life is inspiring as you hold each member as absolute equals which is not the case in most families where the parents dictate and children follow.

392. Nicole, what an opportunity your choices for parenting offer your children – to remain connected and aware of their essence and not shaped by ideals and beliefs of how they ‘should behave or be’ in the world. What a powerful and strong foundation to live their life from.
     “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be; to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true”.

393. Nicole, it is very gorgeous to read your blog, I love this, ‘Our children are all born gentle, loving, tender and precious, and why should any of that change as they begin to grow and become young adults? All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are.’ This feels so true to me, I see how children, boys especially are not encouraged to stay gentle and tender, quite the opposite, it seems like there is an expectation for boys to toughen up and that being tender is not for boys which is crazy as this is their natural way. I support and encourage my son to continue to be his naturally sweet, gentle self.

394. Thank you Nicole, the love and confidence that your children obviously have and connection between you all as a family is clearly evident in the photos shared. This is a common experience of mine within the community of people who study Universal Medicine, that all the children being raised in the light of these teachings are confident, well balanced, communicative, bright and healthy, consistently so. And I would go so far as to say that to raise a child in any other way is depriving them of all they can be and this is said without judgment, but in full awareness of the dulling effect that the majority of food stuffs commonly consumed that we regard as a benchmark of our civilised societies is flattening our children’s health and vitality. The same can be said with iPads, computers and the TV in that we are largely serving our children a junk food diet through these mediums too. Those who study and apply the teachings of Serge Benhayon reap the rewards there are to be lived, experiencing a vitality, joy, openness and connection un-rivaled to date and delivered from a man who lives these teachings to the full. As you say, people are free to say what they like, however the fruits of Universal Medicine are very, very evident and are on full show for all to see. Everything Serge does, the teachings, workshops, presentations and now the TV channel offer 100% total nourishment for our bodies, our hearts, our selves and our families and we will continue to show the world that there is only one Way to Live, in full appreciation and honour of who we are, gentle, tender, beautiful beings who have every right to express all the love we are in a responsible, respectful and deeply caring way.

395. Thank you Nicole. The quality of parenting I have witnessed time and time again amongst students of Universal Medicine quite simply melts my heart – the joy and inspiration doesn’t stop. I have seen the consistency of how children are deeply met and cherished, not mollycoddled but nurtured and held in a love that knows they are equal to the adults around them with so much to bring to us all. And as for malnourishment, I have never heard of anything so ridiculous — amidst a society where obesity and unhealthy eating amongst children is at a serious crisis.

396. Thank you Nicole for sharing the strength and beauty of true parenting where all are given the responsibility for every choice they make.

397. It’s interesting how this blog starts with the emphasis on self-care and the changes that you have made to the way you live BEFORE you start to talk about parenting. This is perhaps the biggest lesson I have learnt. Super simply – come to parenting feeling tired, resentful, stressed or emotional, and you are going to stuff it up. Guaranteed!! Take care of yourself first, get yourself in a good space first and then it’s a totally different ball game. For example – the idea of parenting with a hangover….it’s a car crash waiting to happen.

398. How you describe your parenting has absolutely not one hint of deprivation but in fact the opposite. What you share is a celebration of true parenting.

399. The way you are parenting your children is the model that one day will become the norm, again!

400. To parent children without indoctrinating ideals and beliefs – wow – that sounds amazing Nicole. Even if not obviously taught, ideals and beliefs can be picked up by osmosis in a family. Children have their own unique wisdom if allowed to develop at their own pace.

401. Finally, the true meaning of parenting in action! Nicole, I love how you feel so committed and clear in the deeply loving parenting of your children, which is simply a reflection of how you and your husband are choosing to live your lives. Yes, you have made some decisions, as in the food that you all eat, that go against the beliefs of many people, but from your lived experience you know that this is the way to eat for the optimum health of the whole family. I know for an absolute fact that if gluten, dairy and sugar had been removed from my diet as a child, my health and my life would have been so very, very different, but at that time, in the 50’s and 60’s, that was just what you ate, usually without question. Today these foods are out of my diet and the quality of my well-being has never been so high, my lived experience mirroring yours and that of many others that I know.

     1. What is also interesting to note is that gluten is being linked now to so many issues of ADHD, behaviour issues, mental health – depression, Alzheimers, they are realising that the inflammation it can cause can be linked to so many ill health conditions. I am super pleased that I have not eaten it for 10 +years and if my daughter has cake or something like that at birthday parties she always feels the impact on her body, i.e. mucus from dairy – instantly and it is such a weird sensation she notices it and wants to know what it is, and very hard motions from the gluten, all this she knows for herself and she can chose to eat what she wants out in the world but whilst in our home we don’t have those products in our house. What I also find fascinating is the accepted and therefore normalisation of green runny noses on children, this is directly down to dairy in my observations. My friend cut out dairy from her children’s diets and gone was the excess mucus, and my daughter has never had any green snotty noses with colds. What is accepted as normal is so far from it often that it really is wise to not always run with the pack.

402. Hallelujah! Shout it from the rooftops – there is a different way to live and Nicole and her family are living testimony to that way. Thank you for sharing with such detail and depth, role modelling for us all.

403. There is such solidity in what you present Nicole. This alone tells me – and doubly so when coupled with my own, similarly positive experience of Universal Medicine – that what you have shared is true.

404. It is true Nicole many of the things that you say go right against what we tend to see in society today. So yes you and your beautiful family will stick out, but isn’t that actually important? For otherwise people will never see that there is light outside of the tunnel of tradition and ingrained routine.

405. Nicole, I just loved reading about your family and the choices you all are making. What a gift it would be to be graced to be held in the Love of such a family when I return – next incarnation.

406. What a great start to life your children have, no junk food, no using i-pads or screen time for distraction, and definitely well nourished in every way as you can see in the family photo … simple and wholesome… back to basics and thriving I’d say, thank you for sharing Nicole!

407. Nicole this is beautiful and such a testament to The Way of The Livingness and Serge Benhayon and all that he has offered and reflected to the world. His inspiration is simply amazing and normal to live and comes from a knowing inside us all. Children respond to their own beingness and love and light the way if offered the opportunities that you hold in your family and the joy can be felt from you all. Re-imprinting parenting and the way we live is much needed in society today and this is a real inspiration for us all, thank you.

408. Amazing, you are not just raising but actually actively and deliberately engaged in parenting your children – it feels that most kids these days are just left to their own devices as well as to the TV, tablets and iPads to somehow grow up. Is it possible that we have lost the connection to ourselves and thus find it hard to deeply connect to and read our children?

409. ‘What we share as a family reflects to me the importance of expression and communication, for what we share is a result of us all feeling supported in a space where we can share what we feel without holding onto or bottling things up, where we are able to work on not judging each other and on exposing any ideals or beliefs around how we think a true family should be or look’ … there will come a day when we are all living in this way together, when the way we live in our society reflects true family. I believe this will happen, it is already happening with many families, such as yours, Nicole, showing that there is another way to live, a true and loving way filled with joy and an appreciation of the divine order of our Universe and the part that we all play in being a part of the divine whole.

410. I love this science of parenting, for that is what it is, a forever changing, deepening and loving way to raise children removed from the norms. There is so much reaction to children not being fed wheat, dairy and sugar. That is just crazy, I have worked extensively with kids who are allowed sugar and often it is not fun at all as there is a complete loss of control that makes everyones life miserable. Children need love, care and attention, not stimulating or dulling food or entertainment. We really have to strongly question anyone and any system that tries to tell us otherwise, particularly the statement, “a little bit of this won’t do any harm”, I know in regard to sugar that a little means you want a lot.

411. Wow. This is what parenting looks like when love is made a very normal part of everything. And it feels very important that parents take responsibility to make that choice for themselves so that it is for them already a lived way, and not an ideal. Children who don’t crave sugar and stimulation, and don’t numb themselves with computer games and TV etc. – that is incredible, and an opportunity to be inspired and study this way of parenting, and definitely not attacking.

412. I really like what you are saying here about the choice that you and your partner have made to parent your children rather than raise them. This is actually huge as there is such a big difference between the two. An example of the difference might be when we put children in front of a screen and leave then to their own devices so to speak. This is raising children. Parenting them on the other hand would be to be with the child, to ask them how they feel about what they are seeing on the screen, to support them to handle the bombardment that comes at them in terms of how things are presented, for example the visual stimulation and to be in charge and fully informed about what they are watching.

413. What a gorgeous family photo Nicole – the different beautiful qualities of each one of you shines out and the harmony between you is tangibly felt. How could anyone criticise the way you are living? One would have to be wilfully blind to say you were malnourished or abused! This photo is a true testament to your joyful life.

414. This is gorgeous Nicole. Who in their right mind would question the way you are parenting when your children are so healthy, vital and happy.

415. Nicole this is not only inspiring but shows how we can all learn to raise children with a depth of love and care that first comes from taking a depth of love and care with ourselves. However it was not always like that for me as well, for example as you say “My life was previously one of constant chaos and overwhelm, mostly due to, actually all due to, the choices I was making, however today my life is completely the opposite of that, in which I take responsibility for each and every choice that impacts on my health and well-being and all my relationships.” this is fully relate to and thank God for the choices I’ve made through the inspiration of Universal Medicine.

416. Beautiful blog Nicole. What instantly caught my eye were these words: ‘ to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.’ This is a key point to inwardly know and experience as a truth about our children. The non-ownership allows for respect, equality, and true love. And in fact, what do we really ever own in life? Not even our own body. And if we do ‘own’ something do we still look after it well and respect it? Just because we ‘own’ something does that mean we can ‘abuse’ it?

417. The children growing up with families who have been inspired by Universal Medicine and The Way of The Livingness are the most vibrant, alert, wise and confident children that I know, they are deeply cherished, honoured and supported to express all that they truly are. It is astonishing that some see it fit to react with jealousy and animosity. But they could instead be queuing up to study the families because obviously something is working – very well.

418. It is all about responsibility and accepting that where we are is directly down to our choices and that none of us are perfect so being true role models for our kids in what we eat and how we show love is top of the list in home life. I know when my diet goes pear shaped that it affects the whole family and I can see my daughter wanting things she doesn’t need.

419. How many people in the world would be able to write the starting sentence of this blog and mean it? This is quite something!

420. Hello Nicole and it’s great to detail the support you feel and have felt as a result of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon. There are many parts to what you are saying and the simple appreciation for all you are seeing and learning around you is clear. It’s wonderful to see children supported and people supporting themselves in everyday life. It’s not up to anyone to judge or criticise another without fully understanding them. Too often in this world we hear part of a story and jump to a conclusion in our mind on what is happening. My guide would be get the whole story from all involved before you jump because as we see time and time again when you only have part then it’s no where near complete.

421. There isn’t a single thing you’ve written here Nicole that strikes any concern within me whatsoever! To me it sounds like a model way of parenting. If I have children one day, I would not hesitate in getting in contact with your for advise!

422. Nicole this is a beautiful testament to ‘The Way of The Livingness’ and reflection for everyone that crosses your path. So much of what you are living in your life and bringing to the lives of your children would seem so alien to some because we have strayed so far from what is true, so far from the wisdom our body would offer us if we chose not to abuse and dull it with food and distractions – many of which you have mentioned. Thank you for sharing the blog for all to read – everyone will deeply connect to all or part of what is offered here. Your sharing is deeply appreciated.

423. ‘The changes in my own life and how I now live with this deep sense of regard for myself have allowed me to bring a deeper regard to my whole family, including how I parent my three children.’ What an amazing sharing Nicole about you and your family and very inspiring to feel what true parenting is and the joy and abundance of love that is available when we choose to live with each other in this way.

424. Such a gorgeous photo of you and your family Nicole, thank you for sharing it. And for clearing up any doubts about just how lovingly you parent and the true support you’ve had with this from Universal Medicine. It’s crazy how people can focus on what’s been removed from a diet and immediately jump to using words such as ‘restricted’ and in that not allow themselves to see or appreciate the actual true richness and nourishment of the foods that are being given.

425. This is just beautiful, Nicole. I could and will read it over and over again, to drink in the joy and celebration of true family and love.

426. Nicole this is an exquisite testimony to true religion, which is simply returning to the great love that we are and relearning how to live from this love whole-heartedly. If we can live this in our home then we can live it further afield, for our families, be they blood or other, are the nucleus from which this lived way emanates forth for all.

     1. Living love within my immediate family is like a science lab where love gets cultivated and bred and grown and watered and fed….for us all to take out into the wider family. And, conversely, when it isn’t being lived within our family, then it can’t be taken out to world.

427. Absolutely Nicole call it what you may but Universal Medicine has only inspired me also to bring up my child and for our family to live with the purpose of loving evolution, we often are not perfect – daily! Perfection is an epidemic so not something we are going for, but what I have been inspired by Serge Benhayon is his family, his children are amazing in the true sense of the word, their only purpose is to serve humanity to return to the glory of the divinity we are from, and they are joyful, nourished and vital like no other family I have ever met in my life. What do they say about copying the habits of successful people? It just makes sense to watch, observe, listen and implement that which feels true to you from someone who has so much love and joy in his family.

428. How many kids get the chance to actually grow up being encouraged to be themselves? How many get to express all of what they feel or attend meetings where the whole family gets to express and work together to resolve any issues? These are life skills that will support these kids throughout their life, which are sadly missing for most of us. They will already know who they are and understand how they affect everyone around them. Imagine if we all brought this to our adult relationships, workplaces etc.

429. It is an upside world when parents who don’t feed their kids junk food or let them zone out for hours in front of the TV or computer games are accused of being negligent parents. Isn’t this what we would all want as kids and parents, to be met and be connected?

430. To raise our children in and with such simplicity is a blessing, thank you for sharing how simple and loving family life can be.

     1. This is the thing. Go into any bookstore and go to the section on parenting and you will be overwhelmed with advice and ideals and beliefs and dogmas and warnings….it makes it feel like you are walking into a total mine-field. What I am learning as I am now ten years into being a parent, that it is super simple. And I thank Universal Medicine for showing me the path to that simplicity.

431. “Making the choice to parent our children has been a constant, forever unfolding path, one that we are always adjusting and discussing as a family.” . . . what a great approach to take Nicole as within a growing family everything is constantly changing, and adjustments have to be continually made taking all new developments into account. . . . . this can be said about any relationship as new things present all the time and everything is a learning.

432. I love how you live by the model “do what I live and say” instead of “do what I say not what I do”

433. ‘Making the choice to parent our children has been a constant, forever unfolding path, one that we are always adjusting and discussing as a family.’ Making adjustments based on what the family needs as a whole, rather than being rigid in ‘how things are’ allows for a constant development in which everyone is supported to grow.

434. Nicole, one small part of one single sentence ‘ we are able to work on not judging each other’ is, in itself colossal. I am only just getting to glimpse just how judgemental I have been (and if the truth be told, continue to be) and it’s an ugly scene. It’s very simple really, at any one time, we are either choosing to be love or we are not and therefore, every time I am choosing to be judgemental, I am also choosing to not be love. So of what benefit is being judgemental to either me or to those who are at the receiving end of my judgement?

435. It is only within this beholding love that we allow our children to truly be themselves and expand the love they allready are. I’ve been watching my daughter grow up and can see how much she’s grown in only a few years. Truly inspiring. And it’s both ways. As I’m learning from her to be much more lighthearted and playful. It is lovely to be together and enjoy life. Without a willingness to truly love each other, adore each other and continuously be honest to each other, this isn’t possible. We’re to love them, which includes having a structure.

436. When people think it’s strange to not drink alcohol and eat processed foods etc. and generally look after our well-being, to me this sets alarm bells that as a society we have accepted a very low common denominator of what normal healthy behavior is. Children these days are developing a way of being that indicates this and there is a lot of dissatisfaction about what children are choosing -yet who has inspired them?

437. It has been an interesting path, one that is certainly not over with so much more to come, for both myself and our children. Parenting our children in such a way, can raise eyebrows and most certainly attract jealousy and comparison at times, but it is not about parenting or living in such a way to fit in or tick the boxes or not attract attention, truly living comes from within, and parenting is no different. What i have found with our children is if it is lived, claimed and consistent, there is no question or doubt that what is being lived is true, there is also no question or doubt from another because they can feel the absoluteness of what you live, they may try to question or deny it, but what they feel will always be imprinted within.

438. This absolutely gorgeous to read Nicole. Many of the things you shared about your family may seem extreme to an outside eye yet we must not forget we as humanity have allowed so much disconnection in families that we now see that as normal. With seeing disconnection as normal we all miss out and I deeply appreciate you bringing back connection into your family as it is a beautiful way to live.

439. Nicole for me the pertinent question is what energetic source are we parenting our kids from? I parented my son with what I felt was love, consideration, care, intelligence and thought but when those things come from a loveless body then they come from an energetic source that simply produces more of itself (loveless energy). Since coming to the work of Universal Medicine, I have re-learnt the importance of self love and now parent from a place of love (which can start from no other place than self love) and hey presto, that too produces more of the same…….love.

440. “We made the choice to parent our children as opposed to raising them; to parent them in a way that truly encourages them to live all that they are without the ideals and beliefs of how we think they or their lives should be; to understand that we do not own our children and that we are simply custodians of them, sharing with them a way of life that is true.” – Love what you have presented here Nicole, for we are custodians of our children and it is a privilege and a joy to be here with them, just as it is their privilege and joy to be here with us equally so!

441. What a revelation and inspiration this is – there is another way – to live in deep appreciation and joy with parenting children. Looking around, observing what seems to be normal amongst a great percentage of the population (who are crying out for it to be different), what you share Nicole is gold.

442. The Way of the Livingness is the true way and what a brilliant testimony to this, as shared and lived by Serge Benhayon. Brilliant account of taking responsibility for yourself, your family and the impact that our livingness has on the community around us. Thank you Nicole.

443. “they are the weight their body needs for them to be themselves in life, to live who they are without feeling stimulated, anxious or overwhelmed from foods they may have consumed”. O.M.G. What a treat to learn this as a child and to bring that into their adult life. What a gift – amongst many – you are giving to your children. The Way of The Livingness – the gift that keeps on giving 🙂

     1. “The Way of The Livingness, the gift that keeps on giving”; I love this Sarah and so true.

444. i love how you expose some of the many reasons parents turn to using iPads as a babysitter. It isn’t about making iPads ‘bad’ but just the way in which we utilse them.

     1. Yes Felicity and we create our own problems when we use screens as babysitters or give our children sugar as parenting a stimulated child is so much harder work than parenting a child who is content and in their own world.

445. Nicole there is no hint of deprivation in what you describe, far from it. This is an amazing reflection of parenting and family life. How many busy, working mothers of three young children can honestly say they wake up feeling as you do “I wake up looking forward to the day”, The Way of The Livingness has everything to offer as a way of a full and loving life.

446. As you reflect Nicole, True parenting is a way of Life not removed from the Religion of our entire Living Way, the Philosophy we live by, the Science and understanding of Responsibility and Growth and the True Medicine of a True Living Way in harmony with the All.

447. Your personal experience and your lived truth Nicole is undeniable. So many families know that such a love is the way to be but have not had the blessing to witness and feel and observe what such a family actually is like. And such is the amazing reflection you offer the entire world through your family

448. ‘As a family we live in a quality and a way that consistently reflects to each other that there is always more, that there are always others that are affected and impacted by the way we live, and that we all have a responsibility to live in a way that is true and considers everyone equally also.’ – Profound Nicole – this bit really stood out for me, what an enormous impact it would have on our relationships, our societies, our world, if all children had the opportunity to get this undertstanding from a very young age.

449. Thank you Nicole for sharing this beautiful blog about your beautiful family. I too have been hugely inspired by Serge Benhayon and since I embraced The Way of The Livingness, I too have a similar story as yours. We are living with more respect, love and understanding and our relationship as a family is growing more and more each day.

450. We too, as a family, have committed to many of the choices that you spell out in this blog. What I have seen and learnt through Universal Medicine has unquestionably made me a gigantically more open, transparent, equal, understanding, tender, patient, loving, appreciative and supportive parent. It has been the single most evolutionary and powerful thing in my life and as our family becomes ever more equal and mutually supportive and loving of each other, we are learning and expanding literally every day. It’s a great joy to me – that gets greater all the time. I never imagined parenting could be like this. Universal Medicine has been a enormous support to us all. Thank you!!

451. This is a powerful and claimed testament of the fact that there is ‘another way’. I have immense respect and admiration to you all for embracing and committing to a different path, when so many millions of us are going with the flow – a flow that, when you take even a cursory glance at the physical and mental health of society, is clearly taking us down completely the wrong path.

452. As parents we first learn to parent ourselves before we can parent our children with the quality that truly allows them to experience: “All children should be supported to love, honour, appreciate and accept themselves for the incredible gentle beings they are.” Basically, we restore gradually exactly these qualities within ourselves and thereby naturally express them with each other for all of us once again living as ‘ the incredible gentle beings’ that we are.

     1. Absolutely Alex. It is no good parenting our children when we are riddled with insecurities, anger or reactions to life. If we are lacking in self nurture and self love as the basic foundation to life then we cannot hope to raise our children in the knowing that who they are is already amazing. When we let all of that stuff go, there is much more space to appreciate who we are and then to appreciate our children for what they bring.

453. An amazing, true and beautiful testament Nicole. Thank you for writing the love and nurturing that The Way of The Livingness has supported many parents to now patent with – because of the amazing connection they now have with themselves and others.

454. Parenting by first living what you offer to your children is taking responsibility to a deeper level. A model for many to consider, thank you Nicole for sharing your family so intimately with the world.

455. Everything you have shared you can feel in these photos Nicole. Serge Benhayon has reminded so many how to live a life with love at the fore, the ripple effects of this inspiration spread far and wide and show me what we are all capable of when we open our hearts. Just as you have shared with your family that life becomes about everyone, not just ourselves.

456. I so recognise that image of standing in front of the refrigerator looking for something to fill the emptiness, usually a comforting lump of cheddar cheese, but now my fridge is full of only nourishing foods, which reminds me to feel the emptiness and reconnect within.

     1. Ha ha Carmel – I love your practical side and realness! Yes, far better to fill yourself up with love first and then go for some supportive foods, rather than falling into the habit of reaching for foods the moment we feel like it without checking in on where the craving is coming from. I have noticed that on those days when I feel a little off or something is bothering me, I actually feel like I want to eat all of the time, and over eat too in one sitting. Whereas on those days when I feel really clear and content, then I am quite happy sticking to my normal meal times and eating just the right amount for my body.

457. Nicole this is very beautiful. The relationship that your family are developing and depending with stand the test of time as events and challenges of life come forth both because of what you build together but also because of what you each develop as people and fully committed members of the community.

458. A lot of the things we think children want such as candy and sugary sweets is in my opinion just us imposing it on them. Children know pretty well what is true for them and giving them this space is awesome I think.

459. Nicole, this is a beautiful sharing of your life and the changes you have made since attending Universal Medicine presentations. A gorgeous and all inclusive way of living that is embracing your family and others in full.

460. This is a very inspiring article Nicole, thank you.

461. Nicole I too share your appreciation for Universal Medicine for supporting me in so many ways to change the way that I am in my relationships. And when I say ‘relationships’ I actually mean all of my relationships. What I have come to realise is that all of my relationships are dependent on the quality and depth of the relationship that I have with myself. Rather than constantly trying to work things out in my relationship with others, I look at what needs addressing in my relationship with myself first. If I am prepared to be really honest with myself then I will always find something about me that is setting my problems with others in motion. It’s such an incredible thing to have learnt because it puts me in the driving seat.

462. The proof is in the pudding it seems, live one way and get a certain result. Live in another and get another result. Living with greater love and joy and celebrating that as a family is such a blessing in that it shows what is possible and what we have all said yes to previously that has not been successful. How can we know we are in a mess and work towards clearing it up if everyone else lives in a mess? We can’t and that’s the blessing that Serge Benhayon and many others bring by saying yes to The Way of The Livingness.

463. Nicole what a truly abundant account of what true family life can be like. An absolutely shining example of what a family that is impulsed by love looks like. Glorious!

464. The world needs to know so much more about true family… and to live this truly loving way.

465. It is such a significant point Nicole… that children are parented and not just raised – the difference between the two and the impact of each is huge!

466. Nicole the photo of your family reflects the joy and harmony you speak of, and no one appears under nourished or deprived!

467. This is a gorgeous testimony to how you are with your kids Nicole and how your family live. It’s true that making the choice to NOT feed your children junk food and enormous amounts of sugar is seen as ‘unusual’, and similarly from experience the choice to not do drugs or drink alcohol through your teens and as an adult is seen as ‘weird’… This highlights the importance of living this way though, to set an example that there is a very different way to live free of poisons and foods that harm the body.

468. What a great sharing and a beautiful way to bring up children. What I am feeling is how beautifully you all are taking responsibility as a family to support, nurturing and grow together, with deep care for each other in all the choices you make, and there to support each other when needed. There’s true openness, honesty and a true way of living, very inspiring.

469. What a privilege to read your article, Nicole, thank you. ‘We are not perfect and neither are our children, however they are deeply loved and it is because of the love we hold ourselves in and correspondingly the love we are then able to hold them in, that we are choosing to raise them in the way we do’ – what you’re sharing here particularly resonates with me. We can’t offer another a greater amount of love than we are already offering ourselves. Because of the depth of love that you have both nurtured for yourselves, you are able to share this equally with your children. The moment I choose to hold anything back, the level of love I am offering drops, for me, for my family for every relationship I have.

470. A beautiful blog Nicole, a celebration of your livingness, the joy leaps off the page!
     Thank-you for setting the record straight, for claiming the grandness of a life inspired by Serge Benhayon and his family.
     “The love we all share as a family (and with others) has grown immeasurably as a result of how our love has deepened from all we have learnt through Universal Medicine.”
     Indeed it is through this deepening of our love that we have evermore to share & express with others.

471. Truly inspirational Nicole and so powerfully expressed. I also know how much Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have changed my life and the fact that The Way of The Livingness is the only way. I have learnt much and have much to learn but what I do know is that the wisdom that Serge shares when talking about all relationships, as well as parenting, is pure gold and I and many others are the beneficiaries.

472. Thank you for sharing your experience Nicole. My life has also been transformed in ways that I could not have previously even imagined thanks to the love and presentations of Serge Benhayon. Not long after my husband and I met Serge Benhayon we choose to give up alcohol. Serge has never ever told us what to do, as he never imposes and is not like that, but it was a clear decision for us. At the time we had what we considered to be a wonderful collection of valuable wines – we threw them all away. The reason we threw them away was because once we became aware that wine was a poison for us how could we then pass them on or give them to anyone else? I don’t have children but I imagine it must be the same. If you become aware that something is harmful for your child such as gluten or sugar then why would you feed it to them?

     1. Thank you also for the beautiful photos of you and your partner with your clearly loved, gorgeous and healthy children. Perhaps it brings up jealousy in some otherwise it is hard to imagine how anyone could be anything other than inspired.

473. Really enjoyed reading this Nicole, and looking at the gorgeous photos of your family. What stood out for me is when you wrote how joyful your children are and that other people confirm this to you – how many parents these days would describe their children as joyful.

474. Gorgeous family photo Nicole, cheekiness and playfulness equal in all of you.

475. Some people would think it is deprivation. We are giving children an iPad or computer for entertainment, but I remember being very happy and constant just playing outside and didn’t have any social anxiety, which is becoming increasingly common and so is the rise in electronic stimulation for children which is pacifying the issue.

476. The way of taking responsibility is a challenging one, as we come from the opposite in the moment. So no wonder that eyebrows are lifted. To parent children in the way you do needs a lot of responsibility, to parent ourselves first and live in a harmonious way firstly with ourselves and then in the relationship and with the children. This way needs a lot of commitment to live in integrity – how could I not ‘park’ my children in front of the computer games when I am exhausted and overwhelmed by daily challenges? I did when I did raise the children in my charge… Now I also have changed my life and would be able to parent differently, but the enormous commitment it needs to live like that is not everyone’s cup of tea, so to speak. That’s totally ok – but please do not try to bring down the ones who start to live in true integrity again. They are our all role models and they are the ones who make it easier for all of us to do our steps, when we are ready. Because at the end it will be our tea anyway 😉 .

477. This is a really important thing – ‘feeling supported in a space where we can share what we feel without holding onto or bottling things up’. I will be honest and say I very rarely if ever feel that. I would say 99% of the world doesn’t have this, which is deeply saddening. We live in a world where people constantly judge, we don’t take the time and space to get to know people, there is a lack of understanding and love, we are told what to do or imposed upon. This can be horrible to feel. We need to back off and let people be.

     1. We do need to live this with everyone.

478. This is so inspiring, Nicole. There are so many ideals and beliefs around how we parent our children but what you have shared blows many of these out of the water!

479. Amazing sharing Nicole. You have shared about the way you have parented and how it is loving and supportive which I feel is the natural way we would parent, but if we parent how we were parented, which sometimes is not all loving and supportive, we let hurts get in the way and life becomes a continual cycle of getting hurt and hurting others.

480. There is most certainly nothing malnourished about any of you Nicole… thanks for the insight and showing how The Way of The Livingness supports families to actually LIVE the love we all actually really want.

481. Is there a picture we all have of what love means as a parent – is it always giving cuddles and not being harsh or strict, is it not setting boundaries so the children are ‘free’, being fun etc etc? But what if as parents we are not there to be our kids best friends in terms of letting them do whatever they want – what if love is warm and fun and deeply caring, and because of that it sets boundaries and teaches the fact of consequences to actions, and doesn’t allow irresponsibility to go unchecked? What if that is the greatest form of love, to put the nurturing of a child’s essence as the most important thing, and supporting them to be all that they are during the very intense time of growing up.

482. Wow Nicole this is an amazing account of parenting full stop. It is not often that I see parents that truly enjoy parenting and connecting to their children. It is clear that you and your husband have a truly beautiful relationship with your children and vice versa.

483. Nicole, this article is absolutely beautiful to read, what you are sharing is refreshing and inspiring. Myself and my partner also do not eat gluten, dairy or sugar and neither does our son, he is a very vital, joyful child that is very healthy and bright, he loves engaging with people and adores himself. I loved reading this, thank you.

484. ‘For us a big part of living a life that is true is to support the body to feel light’, I will take this with me to my day today as it is a great reminder that I can be light with the food I eat, the way I touch or the thoughts I have and when I choose this lightness this is what is reflected to others.

485. This choice, to parent your children instead of to raise them, has to it a powerful message of equality between all of you. We can support our children to be lovingly responsible people, regardless of their age or the size of their body.

     1. This is always an error – to see children as less than an adult is to diminish their (and our) wisdom, knowingness and divinity and is a dishonour to us all as equal brothers, Sons of God and students of Life.

        1. I used to do some babysitting, well child sitting, when I was younger and I learnt so much from the children. It is incredible when we allow children to express and be themselves the gems that they come up with. So much for thinking we need to attain knowledge to be wise – all the wisdom we could ever need can be found within and children are proof of this.

486. Nicole, what a beautiful reflection of your family! To anyone reading your sharing who has not known of Universal Medicine and its founder Serge Benhayon and The Way of The Livingness, then I can only vouch for the truth of your words. Many families are raising their children following a similar way to you and your husband, who all seem to have beautifully normal children raised in such a loving environment that supports them to be all they can be. I admire the love and dedication of all the Parents I see at the Universal Medicine events, and the children are delightful in everyway. A truly beautiful sharing Nicole.

487. Thank you for sharing your family with us Nicole. Something that stood out for me is that with your parenting there is no right or wrong rather what feels most supportive in this situation so you are all allowing a continual learning and unfoldment rather than trying to follow any set of rules. What a great example your family is to us all.

488. Beautiful post Nicole – thankyou for sharing. “We are not perfect and neither are our children, however they are deeply loved and it is because of the love we hold ourselves in and correspondingly the love we are then able to hold them in, that we are choosing to raise them in the way we do. ” Gorgeous. My relationships with family and friends have also changed – for the better – since attending Serge Benhayon’s presentations.

489. When I was a young mum there was one parent who did not allow her children to eat sweets. I used to think she was weird and that her ‘poor’ children were deprived. At the same time I would notice the massive negative effect that sweets had on my own daughter, but did not see that I had an option at the time. I would be seen as a bad mum, a weird mum etc. Its only when I started to take better care of myself that I was them able to offer that to my children and others.

490. The way I parent has changed over the years as I have changed and made different choices about the way I want to live. Its amazing the knock on effect that happens through simple acts of self-care. It has impacted every area of my life in a way I could not have imagined.

491. This is a stunning blog Nicole. What shines through is the commitment you have to living life the way you do and that your family life is imbued with responsibility. You write with complete authority and there is no doubt that how you and your family live is making waves. A very inspiring piece. Thank you.

     1. I agree.

     2. Hear hear – it’s not just words, it can be felt.

492. Your family Nicole is the family I would love to have been ‘parented’ in. A family that allows the children to express who they are, without being made to behave in a certain way, or conform to certain ideals. Where love is there in bucket loads and there is a joy and lightness to everything. For some people this is too much and they want to find fault with the simplicity of this way of life. The photos show your whole family to be full of vitality and joy and very healthy, how can this be a crime is a world that sees so many adults and children to be overweight and checked out from life.

     1. Photos speak volumes and the light and love in this gorgeous family can not be ignored. For those who want to attack this way of living – it seems more about them not wanting to take responsibility for the fact that vitality and joy and great relationships can actually exist through a very simple and connected approach to daily life. But most importantly it is everyone’s right to choose their own religion, life and way of being.

493. Yet another testament to the ‘normalacy’ of The Way of The Livingness, which extends to all aspects and areas of life – including parenting… No special text books or courses required, but simply a commitment to self-love and a willingness to be open, share, express and connect to the inner wisdom that is within us all.

     1. Beautifully said Angela – it is extremely ‘normal’ because it is so so natural. Your words are a perfect summation ‘ simply a commitment to self-love and a willingness to be open, share, express and connect to the inner wisdom that is within us all’

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