It’s a fact of life that kids will always complain about their parents. For one reason or another, our society simply loves sharing stories of all that our moms and dads did wrong.
But now, that’s going to change. For today is the day that we take a moment to (for once) celebrate everything big and small that our parents did right.
RELATED STORIES
Made us understand that everyone is equal.
This Redditor, who goes by the name laterdude, said that their mom used to talk about how you could tell a lot about a person by how they treated the waiter/waitress or any person working in customer service for that matter.
The importance of a budget.
“We would get 10 dimes and then have to divide it out. 1 dine to charity, 4 dimes to savings, and 5 dimes to us. We learned how to budget and save up for what we wanted and how to pay ourselves by creating savings accounts.” – Reddit u/MissyTurtle
They taught us to be accepting of other peoples beliefs.
FreestyleKneepad was raised in a Christian home and went to church every Sunday. When they returned from college, they decided that they no longer believed in God.
“Alright, we won’t wake you up early on Sundays,” was their parents’ reply.
Making family dinners a priority.
“It didn’t always work with a busy schedule but more often than not we had dinner as a family to talk and bond,” Redditor MissyTurtle explained. “Some of the most important things I have learned in life were learned around the family table.”
They didn’t get mad in challenging times.
This Redditor who goes by the handle clowniii says that they failed two straight years of school. Their parents never once got angry or tried to use guilt as a weapon. Instead, they encouraged them to pursue their passions — even if it meant leaving school.
Expressing love and showing affection.
“Don’t be afraid to show affection to your children,” writes Reddit user iocaine0352. They go on to say, “Tell them you love them. A lot. They need to hear and see it from their father.”
They explained the reasoning behind their actions.
Reddit user UltimateAnswer42 said that their parents upheld the notion of respect and never answered any request with “because I said so.” Instead, they allowed for an open dialogue and sometimes could even be persuaded to change their opinion.
Instilling the importance of honesty and integrity.
“The number one rule was the truth, no matter what you did, you did the truth. Sure they would be disappointed in you for a bit, but they valued honesty and integrity above all.” – Reddit u/RouletteShadow
Nothing was forbidden.
As any young rebellious teen will tell you, being told not to do something only makes you want to do it that much more. Since AussieMommy’s parents never treated her like a captive — she never felt any need to rebel.
Never waiting to say “I love you.”
“Mom always told me to let the people you love know it,” wrote Reddit user Mr-_-Clean. “Never leave on a bad note, you never know when the last time you’ll see them is.”
Respected their children’s right to privacy.
Before MoreTubaNeeded joined Reddit, they presumed that everyone’s parents knocked on the door before entering their child’s bedroom. They were shocked when they realized just how much of a privilege that privacy is/was to most children.
They never sheltered them from the realities of the world.
“I was allowed to grow as an individual,” Redditor kukukele said. “They are always there for support when I needed it, but I was never coddled or protected from things.”
Created a safe space for their children to be themselves.
Reddit user Dia_Danger said that their parents created a safe space that made them feel comfortable enough to come to terms with their sexuality. On the day that they came out, their father was incredibly proud and would not stop making LGBTQ puns.
Understanding that your children’s interests may be different from your own.
Reddit user mgraunk’s parents always encouraged his passion, even when they didn’t understand them. “They didn’t really care for skateboarding, but they spent hundreds of dollars over the years for my brother to enjoy his hobby,” he said.
Not letting their own divorce interfere with co-parenting.
This Reddit user says that their parents were able to set aside their differences after separating and remain close for the good of their children.
What’s the most selfless thing your parents have ever done for you? Leave a comment and let us know!
h/t: Reddit
