My Daughter Got Kicked. Here's What I Did to Protect Her.

A few weeks ago, I watched a boy walk up to my daughter—while she lay on the ground—and kick her in the stomach.

No build-up. No warning. Just a blow to her tiny body.

She froze. Completely shut down.

And for a moment, so did I.

My nervous system wanted to flee.

Smile and pretend it didn’t happen. Keep the peace.

That’s what I was taught to do growing up—minimise, ignore, override.

But this time, I didn’t.

Instead, I picked her up. I looked around. And I said no.

I found the boy’s Dad. I calmly told them what happened. I advocated for my daughter. I didn’t blame or shame—I simply held the boundary.

The boy apologised. They fist-bumped.

But the most powerful thing?

My daughter came back into her body.

Her warmth returned. She unfroze.

Because she saw what protection looks like.

That same week, I was working with a young client in her 20s. She came to me with chronic anxiety, people-pleasing, and emotional shutdowns that kept wrecking her relationships.

As we talked, it became clear:

She’d never been protected. Not by her parents. Not by anyone.

Her boundaries were trampled. Her feelings dismissed. Her body never got to feel safe.

So, in our sessions, we started building something new.

Not just “coping.”

Not just “calming down.”

But real emotional safety.

⭐️ Somatics that helped her feel steady in her skin.

⭐️ Boundaries that made her feel powerful.

⭐️ And language to speak her needs, without guilt.

She’s becoming the protector she never had.

Is that fair? No.

But necessary if she wants a life where she feels secure, grounded, and enough.

If no one protected you growing up, that doesn’t mean you’re broken.

It just means you might need to learn what protection actually feels like.

And that’s what I teach.