Leonora Found
Leonora Found
Writer • Coach • Mother
NOW AVAILABLE
I’m Fine: What Three Children Taught Me About Embracing Emotions and Parenting
About the Book
I’m Fine: What Three Children Taught Me About Embracing Emotions and Parenting
Mothers say “I’m fine” even when we’re not. We whisper it while stirring pasta, mutter it in the school car park, and swallow it in the dark when no one is watching. We say it because falling apart feels dangerous, because asking for help feels shameful, and because holding everyone together has become the one thing we think we’re supposed to do.
I wrote I’m Fine after years of trying to perfect a job that was never meant to be perfected. When my daughter once asked, “Why can’t you be like other mothers?” I realised I had a choice: keep performing or tell the truth.
This book is that truth.
It’s messy, honest, and full of the real moments most mothers never say out loud. The visible ones and the invisible ones. The emotions that leak out sideways, and the ones we quietly try to keep hidden.
The book travels with you through toddler meltdowns, school-age heartbreak, teenage storms, and the bewildering tenderness of parenting young adults. It explores what happens when you stop trying to be calm, perfect, or endlessly patient, and begin learning how to be present instead.
Inside, you’ll find the emotional tools I wish I’d had from the start — the ones that help you understand feelings instead of managing them, repair instead of retreat, listen instead of perform, and stay connected to yourself while staying connected to your children.
This isn’t a parenting manual. It’s a companion for the emotional journey of motherhood.
If you’re tired of pretending, longing for deeper connection, or wondering whether other mothers feel this way too, this book will remind you that you’re not alone.
Your children don’t need perfect. They need you, the real you. And she’s allowed to take up space.
About Leonora
I’m a writer and life coach who has spent most of my adult life trying to make motherhood look easier than it felt — a hobby I’ve since retired. I’ve learned that growth rarely arrives in the big, dramatic moments; it sneaks in through the small ones, usually when you’re wiping down a kitchen counter for the third time or sitting in your car wondering if everyone else is coping better than you are.
These days, the way I write is the way I try to live: honest, human, and always learning. I believe in telling the truth about family life, not the polished version but the real one, with all it’s mess, love, humour, and the moments we wish we’d handled better.
When we share those truths openly, something shifts. Loneliness dissolves. Compassion grows. And suddenly, none of us feels quite so alone in the chaos.
Previously Published In:
I’m also a contributing author in the International bestselling parenting book The Perfectly Imperfect Family.
My chapter, Emotional Growth in Families, explores the quiet moments of change that happen inside parents long before they happen in children — a theme that has carried straight into I’m Fine.
Reviews for I’m Fine
“This book is a must for parents. You’ll be able to make changes which will benefit the whole family.”
“This book is a must for parents to recognise that parenthood is messy and emotional and that our real gift for our children is presence. Leonora shares her own personal experience, stories and practical tools which support parents emotionally and make them feel acknowledged and more confident. You will come away realising that “it’s not just you” who has experienced the emotional rollercoaster of parenthood and in that moment recognise you’re not alone. By understanding the emotional development of your children and your own emotional responses and patterns you’ll be able to make changes which will benefit the whole family. I highly recommend this book for any parent both as a guide and a companion.”
Ruth Kudzi
CEO & Founder, Optimus Coaching Academy
“This book is on my short list of favourites.”
“I’ve read more parenting books than most people on the planet but I’m Fine by Leonora Found is on my short list of favourites. Leonora’s writing about the emotional journey of motherhood helps me to make sense where I’ve been, understand where I am, and see a clear path forward. She writes with such compassion that my shame, fear, and defensiveness melt away. Rather than chasing perfectionism, Leonora shows how befriending our emotions (and ourselves) is parenting’s ultimate goal. “
Cecilia Hilkey
Parenting Educator & Co-Founder, Happily Family
Joining the list means you’ll get early updates on my book I’m Fine—plus tools, stories, and gentle encouragement as we figure this out together.