Bindi Irwin treats everyone with kindness, from the wild animals at Australia Zoo to her daughter Grace Warrior. And while she seems pretty laidback in general, there is one parenting rule she “never” breaks with her 3-year-old. The wildlife conservationist shared one rule she holds steadfast, and it shows what a truly empathetic mom she really is.
In a new interview with Parents, the You Are a Wildlife Warrior author opened up about her mom “superpower”: her mighty hugs.
“My biggest superpower as a parent are my hugs,” Irwin shared. “Any time Grace is having a big emotion — sadness, frustration, even joy — she asks if she can have a cuddle. Sometimes our hugs are 10 or 15 minutes long.”
Aww, I love that! Grace knows she can always turn to her mom for some emotional regulation and love, which is the sweetest thing ever. And the rule that Irwin never breaks? Letting Grace go!
“I don’t care what else is going on. I am never the first one to break a hug,” she revealed. “She can let go when she’s ready.” Are you crying right now, too? Hugs are a powerful communicator (between humankind and the animal kingdom!), and Grace knowing that her mom is always there for her as long as she needs her is indescribable. It’s such a beautiful example of pure love.
The Crikey! It’s the Irwins star also shared how her life has changed since welcoming Grace with husband Chandler Powell. “Time has a completely different meaning for me,” the proud mom said. “I think about Grace’s day: how she’s feeling, her next meal, her naps, the activities we have planned. My sense of time now revolves around this one tiny human.”
Moms know what that’s like! In addition to thinking about Grace, motherhood has also made Irwin reflect on her own life and priorities. “It’s also changed how I view my relationships with people and the way I spend my time,” Irwin said. “I’m letting go of anything that isn’t bringing positivity. Little things that might have bothered me once upon a time, don’t mean anything anymore.”
One way she is prioritizing herself is through scheduling time for self-care. “When you become a mum, you are so busy comforting your kids. But every mother should also be kind and gentle to themselves,” Irwin shared. She added that her and Powell take turns with Grace’s bedtime routine, and when it’s her turn, she will “cozy up in bed with a book.”
“Reading has been one of the biggest parts of my life,” she added. “When I was a kid, we traveled a lot with our conservation work and no matter where we were in the world—camping in far north Queensland, catching crocodiles, or in the middle of New York City—my mum would always read us a bedtime story. Now, I like reading a little bit of everything, from biographies to fantasies.”
Last week, Irwin opened up about losing her dad Steve Irwin when she was just 8 years old. In an interview on the A Life of Greatnesspodcast, she recalled well-meaning people telling her, “time heals all wounds.” “And I remember thinking, as an 8-year-old, ‘What in the heck does that mean? Why do people keep telling me like, one day I’ll forget about this?’” she said.
“It actually made me a little bit scared,” she continued, adding that this sentiment is “wrong.”
“Time changes your grief,” she continued. “Time changes things and your perspective and everything. But I know firsthand that the grief and the sadness and the feeling of loss from losing Dad, that feeling is just a part of me. It’s like a scar on your heart.”
Her honesty and strength is so incredibly inspiring!
Before you go, click here to see Bindi Irwin’s sweetest mommy milestones!
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