"Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it."
- Maya Angelou
There’s a quiet kind of guilt that creeps in when we look back on how we responded to a meltdown, how we misunderstood a child’s needs, or how long it took to realise what regulation, co-regulation, or sensory support really meant.
Whether you’re a parent, an OT, a teacher, or a support person working with children means constantly learning, growing, and unlearning. It means being humbled by the realisation that what you know now could have made a big difference then.
But Maya Angelou’s words are a soft landing for those thoughts.
You are not failing if you're learning. You're human.
The truth is, you showed up with what you had. And now that you know more, you’ll do more. That’s growth. That’s courage.
So next time you find yourself spiralling into the “I should’ve known” or “why didn’t I do this sooner” mindset, pause. Breathe. Remind yourself: You were doing your best with the tools you had. And now, you’re building a better toolbox.
Let that be enough today.