Also I luckily stumbled onto this on one of the parenting IG, I make sure to tell my kids an equal amount of "be proud of yourself!" to make sure they're getting it from within (and not just from me).
Every day you lift us, your loyal followers, up - with your encouraging words, honest sharing of yourselves (thank you!) and real-world, common-sense approach to life! You deserve ALL the kudos - you’re doing excellent work!
> "Even as adults, we need it. Whenever I think about my parents or have a good cry session in the car, I always talk into a voice memo — kind of like journaling. Every voice note has the same theme - are they proud of me?
I do not know how to explain it - I miss them every single day. But the absence of their approval has been one of the hardest things to overcome. An innate desire to know if I am doing a good job. If they are proud."
This hit in all the feels, as both an adult still appreciating/seeking parent approval, and also knowing there will be a time when I won't have it. Thank you for sharing your words...
Your parents’ love and sense of pride lives on in you and your siblings. Look at how you’re raising Rebecca in such a loving and supportive environment. She’s a great kid and is lucky to have such a great Mom! ALSO, I love the writer/podcaster Gretchen Rubin. She talks about the shift from expecting praise from others to giving ourselves “gold stars.” Highly recommend her work!
In spirit of the essay - just wanted to give myself a comment that I'm proud of you for publishing without perfection.
Also I luckily stumbled onto this on one of the parenting IG, I make sure to tell my kids an equal amount of "be proud of yourself!" to make sure they're getting it from within (and not just from me).
This is a great lesson!!
Every day you lift us, your loyal followers, up - with your encouraging words, honest sharing of yourselves (thank you!) and real-world, common-sense approach to life! You deserve ALL the kudos - you’re doing excellent work!
Awe thank you. Saving this for my "read when you feel like a failure" notes.
So glad you switched to Substack! It’s so much nicer a reading experience than in gmail, IMO.
I agree!
> "Even as adults, we need it. Whenever I think about my parents or have a good cry session in the car, I always talk into a voice memo — kind of like journaling. Every voice note has the same theme - are they proud of me?
I do not know how to explain it - I miss them every single day. But the absence of their approval has been one of the hardest things to overcome. An innate desire to know if I am doing a good job. If they are proud."
This hit in all the feels, as both an adult still appreciating/seeking parent approval, and also knowing there will be a time when I won't have it. Thank you for sharing your words...
Love that you’re on Substack! x
Your parents’ love and sense of pride lives on in you and your siblings. Look at how you’re raising Rebecca in such a loving and supportive environment. She’s a great kid and is lucky to have such a great Mom! ALSO, I love the writer/podcaster Gretchen Rubin. She talks about the shift from expecting praise from others to giving ourselves “gold stars.” Highly recommend her work!
Great blog post! Brought a tear to my eye and I enjoyed reading about the volleyball :)