Epistemic Authority in Parenting

Sor Juana's insistence on her own authority to know—to interpret scripture, philosophy, science, and her own soul—models epistemic power. In parenting, this means resisting the erosion of your own authority over your experience. Experts, family members, and cultural narratives constantly tell parents what their role means, what their sacrifices should feel like, what they should prioritize. Epistemic authority in parenting means trusting your own reading of your situation: 'I know whether I am disappearing.' 'I understand what I am losing.' 'I can interpret what kind of parent I want to be.' This is not about rejecting all outside input but about maintaining sovereignty over your own knowing. Sor Juana fought for the right to her own intellectual authority in a world that told her to defer to male experts and religious hierarchy. Contemporary parents need the same epistemic confidence: the conviction that your understanding of your own experience, your needs, and your identity is valid and worth defending.