How do I balance my own needs with being emotionally available to my child?

This is the question at the heart of attachment parenting, isn't it? Rabia al-Adawiyya taught us that love doesn't diminish when shared—it multiplies. But that doesn't mean you pour from an empty cup. What I've learned is that your child doesn't need a perfect, infinitely patient parent. They need a *real* one. When you attend to your own exhaustion, your grief, your hunger—you're not being selfish. You're modeling that human needs matter. That bodies matter. That rest is devotion too. Start small: name one thing you need this week that isn't about caregiving. Not a luxury—something basic. Sleep, a walk alone, ten minutes with tea. Your child learns attachment security not from your endless availability, but from watching you respect yourself enough to ask for what you need. That's the teaching. That's the legacy.