Why I Started Wild Roots: Raising a Wild, Brave Daughter

Holistic Motherhood, Intentional Parenting, Wild Roots Blog

By Madeleine Gray, RN · Wild Roots Blog · Published September 16, 2026

Why I named this blog Wild Roots, and what raising my daughter to be wild, bold, and brave in a conformist world has taught me about re-wilding myself too.

I started this blog and called it Wild Roots because of my daughter, Evie. She is my inspiration as I watch her grow up, and I try my best not to project my own fears, insecurities, or limitations onto her. I wanna share the things I’ve learned, for anyone who feels disconnected from that part of motherhood. What I mean by that is those who have just begun their inner work, or haven’t thought about the fact that everything we do as parents impacts our children’s development and who they become. How much we listen to them, and give them direct eye contact, directly affects how they listen in the future. Picking up and holding my daughter when she cries has already created a sense of security and safety in her. I can tell by how quickly she recovers when she hurts herself now. Ryan wrote his own version of this same story over at The Holistic Hub - Why This Exists - if you want the parallel origin story from his side of things.

We live in such a busy, fast-paced society, where we have to work full-time and put our kids in daycare or school - and maybe that is exactly what we want, but maybe we feel like we have to do it. I’m someone who doesn’t feel like I have to do anything I don’t want to, with the exception of some jobs to make money, of course. But when it comes to following the status quo, I’m typically the one asking tons of questions and going a different direction. So I wanna be a resource for women who have questions but don’t know which way to go. I wanna know that someone else has done it.

I called it Wild Roots because, as I said, Evie is my inspiration, and I wanna share all the ways I am doing my very best to keep her wild in such a conformist society - one that wants kids to stay small and be like everyone else. I want her to be big and bold and brave, but how do you do that when you live in a modern society? I don’t live out in the country on a farm, or out in the jungle, though I often wish I did.

Raising wild kids is also an opportunity for us to re-wild ourselves.

Teaching them isn’t about telling them what to do or saying how they should act. It’s showing up in the way we want them to show up - with presence. Showing them the importance of love and self-care by taking care of ourselves. Spending lots of time outside. Playing and laughing more. Not taking ourselves too seriously, so they can learn that it’s safe to be themselves, to laugh, and to be silly. I go deeper on what that presence-over-perfection approach actually looks like day to day in Intentional Parenting Over Perfection.

I started this blog not because I know everything about parenting. I honestly think every day is an experiment. But as I looked around me, I wasn’t seeing anyone doing what I wanted to do, and I wasn’t hearing people talk about parenting in ways that align with my own values. I have since discovered more groups of women who share my beliefs and practices, but I had to seek them out.

I’ve come to a place where I’m trying to own and fully embody that I have become a wealth of knowledge, with a diverse background across design, personal training, yoga, group training, clinical nursing, and functional health nursing. I’ve always had a strong pull to help others by sharing my story. Each path I’ve taken as an entrepreneur, whether it’s wellness coaching, personal training, affiliate marketing, or eBay sales, I’ve learned a ton from through experience, and it’s built my knowledge base to where I am today. I get to use all of that to help others. It’s part of my Human Design (if you haven’t checked out your design before, you absolutely should - it’s fascinating; I write more about trusting that inner pull in Strengthen Your Intuition). It means that after I’ve learned something myself and have integrated the work, I feel called to share it and use that experience to help others - whether it’s to share something of my experience that helps you feel like you are not alone, or if I can share a tool that helped me, maybe it can help you too.

- Madeleine
Holistic RN · Mama · @the_holistic_momma

FAQ

1. Why did Madeleine start the Wild Roots blog? To be a resource for women who feel disconnected from motherhood or unsure of their own path, sharing what she’s learned raising her daughter Evie with intention instead of following the default script.

2. What does “wild roots” mean in parenting? Staying rooted in your own values while raising kids who get to be big, bold, and brave, rather than shrunk down to fit a conformist mold.

3. How do I raise confident, “wild” kids in a modern world? Model it yourself. Show up with presence, spend time outside, laugh and play, and let go of needing to control how they show up.

4. What is Human Design, and how does it relate to parenting content? A self-awareness framework Madeleine uses as one lens for understanding her own pull to share what she learns. Not parenting advice on its own.

5. Do I need to have parenting figured out to parent intentionally? No. Madeleine treats parenting as an ongoing experiment. Intentional parenting means showing up aligned with your values, not a perfect outcome.