Innate Potential
Letter from the Editor: Issue 25
Jeanne Ohm, DC

There’s a Moody Blues album from the late 60s entitled To Our Children’s Children’s Children; my husband Tom and I used to listen to it frequently. Their songs reflected hope and vision for a new generation of social and spiritual change. When we were still kids, we would spend hours talking about our philosophy of life. One day in high school, we skipped classes and spent the entire day discussing “how kids should be raised.” Being kids ourselves, and still intimate with that perspective, we outlined some essentials.

First and foremost, we agreed that kids are born inherently good and that they are seeking to express their own, innate potential. Allowing this to manifest requires a sense of trust in a greater good, and a respect for a higher intelligence that connects and oversees the expression of all life, kids included. We recognized that kids have their own soul’s purpose to fulfill, and that they are here to teach parents as much as parents are here to teach them. In other words, the relationship is multidimensional, and the parameters of “right and wrong” are not a polarized black-and-white set of rules, but rather many hues of color, depending on each moment in time.

That led us to our next conclusion: The spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, should be the determining factor in making rules and enforcing boundaries. Each situation brings its own set of circumstances, and decisions should be adapted to the situation at hand. Parenting requires the ability to shift perspectives, adapt ideas and, yes, embrace continued growth and change.

When we were just 19, Tom and I were introduced to chiropractic. Although specific spinal adjustments facilitated my healing from a serious injury and also eliminated lifelong symptoms of headaches, asthma and intense allergies, it was the philosophy of chiropractic that inspired us to become chiropractors. Here we saw a perspective that recognizes an innate intelligence in all living things, a wisdom that oversees and coordinates function on all levels: physical, emotional and spiritual. From the traditional
teachings of chiropractic, we learned trust and respect for the natural process of life in all situations. We were fortunate to be introduced to the essence of the chiropractic philosophy as being far beyond “healthcare”—it’s a way of life.

Tom and I married and had six wonderful, expressive and happy kids. We offered an environment of love and security and chose home birth, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing and attachment parenting before these were even terms used in the parenting arena. We, like many chiropractic families, chose these approaches because they respected the evolution and expression of a child’s own innate potential and his or her importance as an individual expressive soul. These ideals are consistent with our philosophy of life, as well as the chiropractic philosophy of honoring our innate wisdom.

As our children grew older, we continued this trust and respect by allowing them to co-create the parameters of our home “boundaries.” Communication between parents and children in our house is safe, open and very dynamic, with everyone’s input expressed, heard and considered. Even if choices are made that we do not wholeheartedly agree with, we often allow them so we can all learn and grow together. And so we do.

We continue to realize that children are born with an inherent connection to their source—a deep, inherent wisdom untainted by worldly ways. Allowing them to live and express this wisdom helps us stay connected to our source as well.

Many Blessings,
Jeanne Ohm, DC

Read Dr. Ohm's bio here.

Dr. Jeanne Ohm is the Executive Editor of Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, a quarterly publication offering resources for parents to make informed health care choices. Find out more about Pathways to Family Wellness magazine.