So many of us parent the way our parents did – because it’s the only example we’ve had a chance to see up close. We think one of the ways to remedy this is to create a space where people can share stories of the things they feel their parents did right, so we can all learn from those examples.

Rimshah Ahmed

Hmmm… What did my parents do right ? There are too many things here to speak of . Well, to sum it up: They placed seeds … a light … in my heart and my mind, while I was still very young: That ….with faith and determination, I could do anything! That dreams do come true. They told me stories of historic figures, of their own families, of people in the past who made their way out of destitute situations. They told me stories of people who realized their dreams. As a matter of fact, I saw both my parents live their life fulfilling many of their dreams. Read more>>

Miss V Van-Cartier

My parents were divorced before I was 1 years old. While growing up between households was stressful at times, and definitely had an impact on my life; My Mom (who spent majority of my time with) never pushed or forced me to do things I did not like or want to do. Instead of trying to cancel out or change my more feminine and artistic tendencies, she fostered them and encouraged me to get involved in and do things I liked, enjoyed, and was even good at. Especially as I got older. She always loved, respected, and appreciated me for me. Having not just the freedom, but also the support and encouragement to be myself and do whatever it was that I enjoyed and had a talent for is something I wish everyone had growing up. Read more>>

Rudy Valentine

My parents instilled Christian values in me and always supported the gifts and talents I displayed as a child, even though sometimes those talents ran contrary to what they may have wanted or hoped for my future. According to my mother, since I was a toddler, she knew that I was an intellectually bright child. I began recognizing letters and sounds early on, which eventually led to me reading fluently by the time I was three years old. Throughout both my primary and secondary schooling, I continued to excel academically, musically, creatively, and athletically. Upon graduating from high school, I received both a full academic scholarship[, as well as an athletic scholarship in track & field, to attend Grambling State University in Louisiana. Read more>>

Nyasia White

My parents su

pported me from a young age. They bought me my first camera at the age of around 8 when then first noticed my interest in taking pictures. From then, they got me an upgrade every year for Christmas until I got my Cannon camera in middle school. My mom also advised that I should try out the photography program in high school. From then, I only grew more in love with my passion. Read more>>

Alexandra Morancy

As I get older, I’ve grown to appreciate and really acknowledge how much my parents gave me growing up – even in times of hardship (almost always financial). My brother and I were always taken great care of and never felt the gap or loss in our household when money was tight, but I credit that – in great part – to their resilience as human beings, individually and together. They gave us solid foundations to build upon and a few key lessons in personhood I will never forget. These are the things they got right, in my opinion: Read more>>

Oscar Velasquez

I love this question, because I am reminded of the quote to “Love your parents. We are so busy growing up, we often forget they are also growing old.” Being the youngest of 4 siblings, but the first to be born in the States, as a first-generation, this allows me to reflect on my family’s journey from Mexico to America. My parents’ story of arriving in California with an elementary-grade reading level to overcoming language barriers is a testament to the resilience that many immigrants share, and their strive to build a better life for their families, fueled by hard work, sacrifice, and determination. Read more>>

Khalia Edmond

My Mom who is now my Angel taught me how to be responsible at a young age. She taught me how important it is to handle your business and take care of responsibilities so that life is easier. Transitioning to a entrepreneur has many different levels. so understanding how to not only handle my business but run a business are things my Mother unknowingly prepares me for and I am so appreciative of her always pushing me to reach me Fullest potential. Read more>>

Bobbo Byrnes

I started playing music kind of late. I was 17. For the most part my parents tolerated it, which is accurate because I was terrible. I went out and bought a cheap electric guitar that I didn’t know how to tune and I cranked up the distortion and made experimental feedback noises because I didn’t know how to play it. Some nights my dad would stand at the top of the basement stairs, flick the lights on and off and yell down “Play the guitars with the holes in them!” Meaning, he was tired of listening to electric guitar and it was now time to pick up an acoustic. Read more>>

Regina Hild

My parents instilled hard work and being a “doer” in my family’s household. I’m one of five and the second to last in the sibling line-up. I was born on a 200 -acre centurion farm in central Iowa. My parents were tough, driven and independent. My mother was a remarkable cook, who taught us five children if we expected to have a seat at the super table, we needed to learn how to plant, pick and cook. My early culinary inspiration turned my passion into a business. My dad was a farmer and together with my mom they raised us five children on the farm. Read more>>

Wendy Do

What my parents got absolutely right was their willingness to risk everything by escaping their home country, Vietnam and coming to the United States, all for the sake of granting us a better life. Read more>>

Larry Nader

Growing up with two loving parents who provided structure and guidance allowed me and my brothers to develop into individuals with our own unique personalities, strengths, and interests. All three of us are vastly different in our personalities yet we always put family first. Despite their initial preference for me to attend a Catholic high school upon graduating 8th grade from a parochial grade school, my parents respected my decision to attend a Detroit public school with a more diverse student body, which ultimately broadened my perspective immensely. When I expressed interest in joining the US Navy after high school, my parents were hesitant but ultimately agreed to support my decision. Read more>>

Robert Shindo

My parents mean the world to me. They always give me all the love in the world & support me with everything that I have ever wanted to do, from playing basketball to breakdancing to wanting to be a chef. My parents have a saying that they always tell my brother & I, “Reach for the stars,” which means to never set your standards low & push yourself to get as far as you possibly can or want to, they always want me to put my all into everything that I love doing it. If I love what I am doing, they are always there to be right by my side & give me all the support any one would ever need. Read more>>

NADIR LUMOS

Fury & fear mired my young mind for many years, and they caused me to learn to bite my own tongue. When I turned 23 did I realized a lot of my negative experiences with my parents and other people were only heightened by my inability to speak up for myself & stand in how I felt. I’ve never asked them, but sometimes I wonder if they pushed me harder in life because they wanted me to speak up for myself. Today I am performing shows around the US, making speeches at graduations, and sharing my voice wherever I am. Read more>>

Vonecia Carswell

As a child, my parents enrolled me in a multitude of extracurricular activities, which I believe allowed me to discover my artistic strengths, learn to interact with diverse sets of people, and communicate in various ways, and they were extremely supportive along the way. They did not condemn my unconventional ways; yet asked questions to better understand them and found spaces and schools in which I could thrive. Furthermore, my grandparents played a pivotal role in inspiring my career, particularly during family gatherings, where they would whip out their camcorder and record moments, big or small. I enjoyed watching playbacks of our family and grew an interest in documenting and spreading the same joy that we were able to relive, and what better way to do so than through a similar medium – photography! Read more>>

Renee Wright

Shout out to my parents! I am so grateful to have a family that supports me through it all. My mother, Rachel was a single parent of three children. My biological father, Charles has always been present but has lived in different states while I was growing up. A lot of my gentle, fun and kind nature is definitely streamlined from him. My step father, Hutch came into my life around age ten and has been very present in my world ever since. I have great genes. I can’t say it enough!!! I love my make and model. I am a Libra with two Scorpio parents. If you know anything about that side of the spiritual world you know thats special. Read more>>

Shilpa Raju Gottumukkala

Right from my childhood, the one thing that I have been taught was to never give up and to never stop hoping. The importance of having a set goal has been imbibed into me right from the start and it has only grown with time. I have eventually achieved my dream of publishing a novel but it was no cakewalk. There have been innumerable disappointments and inevitable responsibilities but none of them pulled me down. Read more>>

Drew Now

I have great parents. I think they always understood from the beginning when they had three daughters – they would all be very different from one another. But I laugh at what they must have thought when I came into the picture – the youngest of the three and a quintessential last born child with a penchant for entertaining. “Stay below the radar, honey” my parents used to say to me at the dinner table after another one of my dramatic reenactments of the day’s chaos. Their eyes gave away mostly delight in my antics but I knew when I had crossed a line by the look of mild alarm passing between them as if to ask what they were going to do with this child. Read more>>

Rebeca Toledo

My parents never pressured me into having to enter any specific field. The only thing they ever asked of me is that whatever I choose to do to be well at it, and work very hard, the best example that I have is from my father. I come from a big family and when I was younger, my family was planning a trip out of the country. My dad already worked a full-time job and so did my mother, but given the fact that we were a large family, we had to budget everything my father wanted to make sure everyone could come on this trip and have extra funds to do extra things. Read more>>

Sofiya Turin

I am a yoga/meditation and mindfulness instructor, trauma and resilience life coach and poet. I strive to give my clients the tools that they need to grow and thrive in every aspect of their lives. I specialize in seeing the big picture and in connecting the pieces in order to help those I work with see the whole. It is my intention to facilitate healing experiences for my clients where they can connect with their inner voices and make space for the expressions and manifestations of their dreams and soul purpose in life. Read more>>

Luis Cazares

My parents always supported everything I wanted to do. Both of my parents were artistic and for the most part really open minded. That gave me a chance to really just do what I wanted without fear of repercussion. I remember always coming up to my mom with every drawing, every painting and just showing her what I had made. I don’t necessarily think she was into them but, she never made me feel like she wasn’t. Even now when I finish a small project or even a small sketch I send her a photo and she still sends her love and support. Nowadays she shows it with just mostly emojis and Gifs. Read more>>

Sof

My parents have always been extremely supportive of me. I know a lot of creatives with families who don’t support them or understand what it is they’re doing and nothing breaks my heart more. I don’t know if I would be where I am today without their unconditional love and belief in me. When I was young they would drive me to hundreds of auditions and talent competitions and as I got older they helped me navigate booking my own shows. They’ve never tried to overstep in my creative process, and they’ve given me the tools to persevere and believe in myself. I love them more than anything. Read more>>

Jordan Orionn

My parents have done a lot for not only me but also my younger brother. One aspect of their parenting that I will forever appreciate is their mission to let me know my worth as a woman. Growing up, my mom taught me that I am enough, so there was no need for me to seek attention by being promiscuous, or to act out by partaking in activities I had no business partaking in. My dad, a man, has shown me how I should be treated and have self-respect. Additionally, he’s been a great representation of confidence. True confidence that is not for other people, but for himself. I am now a young woman that still has a lot to learn, but foundationally I know my value which I will continue growing upon. Read more>>

Alyssa Dunlap

My parents were tireless in cultivating and supporting my love of the arts. My mom would take me to hobby lobby every weekend and we’d peruse the aisles to find a new craft to do that week. By age 10 I already knew how to make a dress, quilt, paint, basic woodworking, mosaic, clay and so much more. I had such a hunger to create and they made space for all of it whether that meant ruining the nice kitchen table or taking over the entire basement with my projects. I specifically remember two times my dad came in CLUTCH in college helping me with art projects. One was a chair that I had to make for Art History. Read more>>

Northern Joy

My opinion of my parents has evolved over time, and just like all parents, mine did many things wrong, and also got a few important things right. My parents divorced when I was a teenager and never seemed to agree on anything, yet they were both successful at raising their kids to be good adults. While parents today seem generally more focused on “letting kids be kids,” my parents above all else wanted us to have tools to be good adults. If I could see over the washing machine lid, I did my own laundry. Read more>>

Tommy Else

My parents were both competitive bodybuilders. As a child I’d sit in the gym’s daycare while they would train. I always wanted to go into the gym, as it looked liked an adult playground of sorts. I wanted to “play” on the machines. Every time my Mother was dieting for a competition, so were we. This ingrained in me the essentials of proper nutrition, as well as her staunch discipline. Read more>>

Sian Siska

My parents did a lot ‘right’ in my eyes. They’ve always made sure I know how much they love me and make me a top priority. Because of that, I know that everything they did was done with good intentions. Though if I had to pick one specific thing they’ve done that has helped shape me and support me in my career it would be the way they let me dream big and experiment without ever shaming or discouraging me. I could (and did, haha) come to them wanting to go to school to become a holistic nutritionist one day and months later I’ve decided I’m actually going to pursue wedding and portrait photography and build a business for that from the ground up, and they sat their and listened. Read more>>

Tony Busnardo

My parents were great at trusting me with my successes and my failures. They pretty much never stepped in. They were supportive and encouraging, but seemed to innately know that my journey would be defined by my ability to own whatever my present situation was. So they never fixed things. Challenges were mine to face. Triumphs were mine to share. Heartbreaks were mine to feel. They reflected back the realities of all of these types of things to me, but they never did anything to minimize or maximize either. They were mine fully. In the end, this helped engender a real ownership of myself and the scenarios at hand throughout life. Read more>>

Rebecka Petersson

I have been very fortunate to have parents who have, from beginning to end, always encouraged me and pushed me to do whatever it is that I want to do. I was only 11 years old when I first realized I wanted to work in animation. It is easy as an adult to laugh at someone so young who talks about their future with as much conviction as I did back then, but my parents never did. They saw my genuine interest and passion for the medium, and I never heard them talk about it with anything else but encouraging words filled with admiration. I was highly impressionable as a child and if I had sensed even the slightest doubt from my parents, I do not know if I would have felt as convinced about following my passion as I did. Read more>>

Megan Waltman

I grew up with a single mom. She showed me the value of hard work and kindness. I remember going to an audition in about 7th grade (back when you got a call if you were moving forward) and I come Sunday night, the deadline to move forward, I did not get one. I sat by my bed dressed for a callback, JUST IN CASE. Even though my mom was very busy with two jobs, she saw me while walking down the hall and could see the disappointment….as I swung my legs on the bed and looking down, trying not to cry. “Maybe they got our number wrong,” she walked in and suggested. “Let’s drive downtown and double check.” Read more>>

Monica Moura

One of my favorite topics is growing up in a home with a dad who owned his own construction firm. My dad was a licensed general contractor and an engineer. He built custom homes and did a lot of remodeling work for coastal homes in the Mendocino area. Him and my mom had a very traditional marriage where he financially supported my mom to stay home and support us domestically. They were both very positive people who believed in the American dream of home ownership, small businesses supporting families and being able to have children. Read more>>

Ty Jack

The best thing my parents did for me, was invest in my wildest dream, entrepreneurship! I knew when I started, working a 9 to 5 wasn’t for me. They invested in my schooling, salon and in my dreams. My mom wasn’t one to abandon me when I turned 18. She was there for me then and she’s one of my biggest supporters now. Without her, my dad and stepdad behind me, I don’t think I would be as established as I am, with my business and emotionally. Read more>>

Milan Tiff

Faced with a child’s disability ( paralyzed at birth with polio ) Couldn’t walk. Forced to live a life in a wheelchair. They saw a gift. In the ability to draw. And enhanced it. Read more>>

Junjie Yin

When I decided to start doing arts, my parents just give me full support, even they think it’s just one of my many hobbies. Read more>>