John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Parenting Pride and Paradoxes

Parenting Pride and Paradoxes

You know those extraordinary moments as a parent where you see your child behave in a particularly challenging situation that lets you know, “They are going to just fine as an adult”?

Those “moments” when your child acts adult-like provide a sense of satisfaction to a parent, a sense of relief and security and great pride.

And we never forget them.

And they become more frequent with time.

And begin to correspond inversely with those extraordinary moments our children experience when they see a parent behave in a particularly challenging situation that makes them wonder, “I can’t believe my parent is acting like such a child.”

Those “moments” when the child’s parent acts child-like also provide a sense of relief, security and great pride–in the children —that they can be a successful adult.

And they never forget them.