diff --git a/src/datamodel/instance.cpp b/src/datamodel/instance.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b5b5ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/datamodel/instance.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#include "instance.h"
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <memory>
+#include <optional>
+#include <vector>
+
+std::optional<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> Instance::GetParent() {
+    if (!this->Parent.has_value() || this->Parent.value().expired())
+        return std::nullopt;
+    return this->Parent.value().lock();
+}
+
+void Instance::SetParent(std::optional<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> newParent) {
+    // Remove this instance from the existing parent
+    if (this->Parent.has_value() && !this->Parent.value().expired()) {
+        std::shared_ptr<Instance> parent = this->Parent.value().lock();
+        parent->children.erase(std::remove_if(parent->children.begin(), parent->children.end(), [this](std::shared_ptr<Instance> ptr) {
+            return ptr.get() == this;
+        }));
+    }
+
+    // Add self to 
+    if (newParent.has_value()) {
+        newParent.value()->children.push_back(this->shared_from_this());
+    }
+
+    this->Parent = newParent;
+}
+
+std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> Instance::GetChildren() {
+    return this->children;
+}
+
+Instance Instance::CloneInternal() {
+    // TODO: Implement refs
+
+    Instance clone = *this;
+    clone.children = std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Instance>>();
+    clone.children.reserve(this->children.size());
+
+    for (std::shared_ptr<Instance> child : this->children) {
+        clone.children.push_back(std::make_shared<Instance>(child->CloneInternal()));
+    }
+
+    return clone;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/datamodel/instance.h b/src/datamodel/instance.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7175f85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/datamodel/instance.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <memory>
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+// The base class for all objects in the data model
+class Instance : std::enable_shared_from_this<Instance> {
+private:
+    std::optional<std::weak_ptr<Instance>> Parent;
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> children;
+public:
+    std::string Name;
+    std::optional<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> GetParent();
+    void SetParent(std::optional<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> newParent);
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Instance>> GetChildren();
+
+    virtual void Init();
+    Instance CloneInternal();
+};
\ No newline at end of file