I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning around the house lately, and I stumbled upon something I wrote a while ago that still resonates deeply with me…⁣⁣

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How do you open the dialogue between you and your child about your life?⁣⁣

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Sometimes we fear that letting them ~in~ to see the real YOU, who is imperfect or flawed, could give them a reason to stop loving us or respecting us.⁣⁣

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It’s scary, hard, and most parents choose not to do it…⁣⁣

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Instead, we cover up our imperfections and use lines like,“Do as I say, not as I do,” to shield ourselves. As parents, what we really want to know is… will you still love me if you KNOW me? If you truly see me, the real me? The one who is battered, bruised, been through things you might never have imagined…⁣⁣

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Where do we begin as parents? With the end …that you love your children completely, and you want them to do the same for you! That through your experiences you have been brave, learned so much, and have been able to parent differently because of them. Our life experiences make up the person that we are, but how vulnerable we allow ourselves to be as we are met with challenges, successes…or full-on heartbreak is what gives us our character.⁣⁣

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The ability to thrive and be fearless in life’s hardest moments define our everyday hero– I believe parents show up for this task the moment they look into their child’s eyes and begin to speak their truth.⁣⁣

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How have you spoken your truth and allowed yourself to be seen by your family? ✨