The Overwhelmed Mum? That’s Me!

I’m Bouchra, a very happy mum of four wonders born in 2009, 2012, 2014 and… the little one who popped up in 2024. Yes, you guessed it: things move, things live, and sometimes things overflow here! 😅

I also carry in my heart a dual French-Moroccan culture, a precious heritage passed down by my dad, who arrived in France in the 1970s. I bring this richness into my daily life as a mum and an educator, every single day.

Breaking the cycle

My big turn towards gentle parenting started very early… From my first pregnancy, I felt deep down that things had to be done differently. Intuitively, I knew: what our children live through today shapes the adults they will become tomorrow.

And I wanted a path for my children far from what I had known — no more violent discipline, no more pressure over grades, no more race for performance that weighed on me so much. I wanted to break that cycle and give my children a respectful, gentle upbringing.

And yet, even though my schooling was “decent”, I still have a bitter taste from those years. School, as I experienced it, only had room for one profile: the one that fits into the verbal-linguistic or logical-mathematical boxes. The others? Pushed aside, misunderstood, sometimes even broken…

I had a strong feeling that school wanted to mould, rather than reveal the treasures hidden in each of us. I knew what I no longer wanted… but I didn’t yet know what to build in its place.

A magic word

And then one day, in the middle of a chat with friends, a magic word dropped:

Montessori

I knew nothing about it, but that word lit a little light inside me. A click. From the birth of my daughter in 2009, it was decided: I wanted to explore this path.

Training… and healing myself

In 2011, carried by that conviction, I crossed France to train with Agnès Putoud. I dived headfirst into the world of Montessori pedagogy.

At first it was for my children… But looking back, I understand it was also to heal the wounded child within me, to reconcile my past with the future I wanted to give my family.

My training path reflects this passionate quest:

• 🎓 A degree in education sciences
• 🎓 AMI Montessori diplomas for ages 3–6 (London) and 6–12 (Montpellier)
• 💛 Training in nonviolent communication, managing emotions, kind communication…

I also draw inspiration from theories that resonate strongly with me: Bowlby and attachment, Rogers and the person-centred approach, Gardner and his multiple intelligences. All of this nourishes me every day as I support children and parents with heart and kindness.

From Leicester to my “dream school”

In 2017, a new chapter: off to the United Kingdom! Six wonderful years in Leicester. My children learned English while playing, and I… met the man of my life, after a difficult first marriage. Proof that there is always light after the darkness. 🌟

There, I kept sowing Montessori seeds in a school in Birmingham.

Then in 2023, back to France. Today, I work in my “dream school”, an AMI-accredited Montessori school, with children aged 9–12. A joy every day.

My mission: sowing seeds

My deepest aspiration? To become a better version of myself every day, while staying aligned with the values that make me vibrate.

In Montessori pedagogy, we speak of the cosmic agent: a tiny seed that, on its own scale, contributes to something bigger.

That is how I see my mission: making Montessori, this education for peace, accessible to all, and above all inspiring women — those who doubt, who underestimate themselves, who have forgotten the immense power they carry within.

I want to share these treasures: resilience, positive education, personal development. My wish? To encourage each woman to move forward, to accept herself with her flaws, and to throw the crushing norms out of the window.

I say no to the myth of the perfect mum.

For me, real strength is that of the mum who accepts her imperfections, who moves forward despite her doubts, and who knows that in that very authenticity lies her greatest power.

So if you too sometimes feel overwhelmed, imperfect, but determined to sow change in your family… know that we are moving forward together, hand in hand. Imperfect, but determined. 💪🌸

And that’s how we shift the lines, one small step at a time.
— Bouchra