In the story ‘On my toes’ I explore my own experiences of being a mother struggling to live up to cultural ideals of parenthood, while at the same time being a social work researcher interviewing birth parents of children in foster care about their parental experiences. I recall this period of my life as if being ´on my toes’ about how other people would assess me as a parent, and I reflect on how these feelings – the fear of falling short as a parent – also strengthened my ability to relate to the parents I interviewed.

About the book: In our increasingly tumultuous world, this book offers insight and inspiration through personal narrative. It collects the accounts of twenty-seven social workers and those in academia based in five continents, surveying a wide range of environments, communities, and systems. Each narrative serves as a testament to the profound intersections of relationships, emotions, and experiences, encapsulating stories of genuine human significance. Advocating for the cultivation of three essential intelligences – social intelligence (SQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), and experiential intelligence (XQ) – the book prompts readers to grasp the nuanced power dynamics inherent in each tale. As a prompt to critical reflection that guides readers towards self-discovery and professional identity, this collection is ideal for graduate students and researchers in social work.