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.

Daisha Bostick

Having been raised in a single-parent household I must say that my Mom did an excellent job. She always told me, “Style is what you make it”. This has helped mold and shape me into the creative I am today. Although this was a fashion tip, this principle has bled into my creative sense. At a young age, my mind was unlocked to create boldly and without restraint. Now when I create I cannot be put into a box, and I find myself not being afraid to create things that are out of the ordinary or take risks in my craft. I am forever grateful to my Mom for letting me express myself freely. Read more>>

Michael Taylor

What my parents did right was… Exhibit immeasurable persistence when never giving up while going through the adoption process to find the perfect match from God. There is a saying that the best things in Life take time. And so they did!! Especially for me before I was even conscious enough to know it. My mom and dad remained patient as they navigated the adoption system for 15 grueling years! Then, in September of 1981, that best thing in life finally came to fruition when they adopted baby Michael. Thats me! :) Read more>>

Ambur Rockell

As a teenager my single, young Mother & Grandmother -otherwise very strict- allowed me artistic freedom in the most outlandish ways. I had murals of chalk on my walls & my clothing style was not limited in any way. If I wanted to wear fishnets, have fuscia colored hair, paint my face, or dawn tiger pants or something risqué- she didn’t prohibit me. Dressing “immodest” was after all what the patriarchal construct considered taboo. Of course that led to me being homeschooled because high-school had clothing rules. This empowered me in later years, as I flourished, incorporating burlesque into my paintings, photographs & musical life. I embraced my eccentricity at an early age. Read more>>

Yalian Li

My parents have been my unwavering pillars of support, guiding me with wisdom and kindness. They’ve consistently championed my autonomy and passions, making all the difference in my journey. From the outset, they encouraged me to pursue my dreams wholeheartedly. Their unwavering belief in my abilities gave me the confidence to explore my interests with zeal. What truly set them apart was their constant support. They stood by my choices – whether in education or career – without reservation. Their faith in me has been my driving force. Read more>>

Jocelyn Francisco

Being able to speak more than one language is a gift. My parents spoke to me in their first language. By doing so, it not only preserved the language, but it provided me with a deeper understanding of who I am and the culture that I came from. As a first generation Filipina-American, speaking Filipino helped strengthen ties with my family. It is not common for me to meet first generation Filipinos who speak, let alone understand the language. Most people who come to live in the United States learn English quickly, even while retaining their first language, but relatively few pass along multilingual abilities to their children. According to the most recent U.S. Census data, only about half of the 1.4 million Filipinos in California speak Tagalog, Ilocano or Visayan. Read more>>

Grace Theisen

I grew up in a service-oriented family that was very active in the community. It was expected of each of us to be conscientious citizens and community leaders who set good examples for our peers. With good intentions at heart, my parents decided to ensure their children would become leaders by explicitly making us be leaders. We never ‘volunteered’; we were ‘voluntold.’ ‘Voluntold’ is, of course, just a fancy way of saying “you have to do this.” And when you are the youngest of five kids, you get voluntold to do a LOT of things, both from parents and older siblings. But as I have gotten older, I understand that my parents saw the bigger picture at play that I couldn’t always see as a kid, and I learned two things that I harness daily in my job as a full-time musician. Read more>>

Eli “RXLLA” Ellis

The greatest gift my parents gave me was embracing their true selves, both in their positive and negative aspects. They taught me the importance of authenticity, and I learned to appreciate them for that. Their genuine presence in my life and the experiences I went through molded me into the person I am today. Through their example, I learned the value of being true to myself, accepting all aspects of who I am, whether positive or negative. I realized the importance of owning up to my strengths and weaknesses, ultimately shaping me into a man who embraces his true self. Read more>>

Elle Mariah

My parents are the embodiment of perfection. Just kidding. They’re as human as anyone. But they did do a wonderful job parenting, and they instilled in me a few key things that have made me who I am: First, they instilled in me a deep love for God. I’ll never forget the day my mom taught a class at church on how to hear God’s voice. I’m very left-brained, and I never felt like I could connect to God the way my right-brained sister and friends did. My sister, an artist, connected with God through painting and creativity. But when my mom taught that class, I realized that the God of the universe wants to talk to me. I learned that prayer is not a one-sided plea with someone in the sky, but rather a conversation between two friends. Learning how to hear God’s voice changed my life. Read more>>

Emmanuel Williams

My parents did so much for me and my brother growing up. They didn’t have the most money, yet always did the best they could with what they had. My mom would take us to carnivals, movies, and amusement parks, while my dad would take us around his friends and let us play video games most days. Saturday morning cartoons, gaming with pops, and kung fu movies were our thing. My folks always made stuff work behind the scenes, and I assumed it was the norm for most people. I learned that wasn’t the case since my parents rarely allowed me to go out with friends or attend events by myself; I was somewhat sheltered and was known for being “that kid that was always on punishment” on the block, haha. Read more>>

Bryce McKinley

Oh wow – My parents worked! And they worked Hard always! They taught me that hard work and a great work ethic was important! Through that though, they also showed me, probably unknowingly, the importance of making time for important things like family a priority! Matter of fact, they still are working to this day when they could or should be retired! watching that from a distant as an adult drives me to make sure that my time is kept sacred and to spend it with those i love, not always working but managing the balance between work and family! Read more>>

Kyle Holbrook

My parents from a young age provided so much opportunities in the way of experiences.I had a very close family on both sides, and my dad being white my mother being black, both sides, had professionals, executives doctors, lawyers, and teachers and professional athletes, although we lived in the inner city, we stayed in a beautiful historic in a beautiful building in which our condo was full of Wood, framing, marble and Stainglass windows. I shared a bedroom with my brother until teenage years. When we moved to a larger home, we had a foundation growing up for my dad‘s best friend. One was black one was Mexican. Read more>>

Purity Smith

My parents were very intentional on creating honest and God fearing individuals. I grew up in church. I never witnessed my parents use profanity, drink, or smoke. They tried to be the perfect example to us in their own way. I grew very sheltered. They kept us innocent children and tried to protect us. I have a very heavy conscience and pride myself on being a woman of my word. Read more>>

Elliot Kotek

My folks showed my sister and I what it was like to prioritize friendships and experiences and (perhaps modeled toooo completely) what it was like to have a full calendar. From volunteering for local non-profits, signing up for classes, subscribing to local theatre companies, planning drives up the coast or trips overseas, they really loved to lean in to what the world (locally, and less locally) had to offer. Weekly family meals, having a sense of duty toward their parents, visiting friends and families when things were good (or not so smooth) – all of it set a baseline that put a premium on caring, and on community. Read more>>

Brian O’Connor

While overall they taught me to be a good person, probably the biggest lesson I took to heart was to think for myself. Did they think I maybe took that idea a little too far when a twenty-five year old version of me announced that I was moving from our home in Upstate New York to Chicago, doing it by bicycle and staying with a friend of a friend when I got there? Sure, but they supported me, trusted my decision and told me I was welcome home any time. Read more>>

Annie Wood

I think about this all the time. The fact that my folx did one amazing thing: they let me entirely be who I was. My #1 passion as a kid was acting. I wrote as well, stories, plays, and poems, but acting was my obsession. My folx weren’t stage parents at all though, my mom was an immigrant who couldn’t read English and my dad was busy working. So it was up to me to figure out (pre-internet) how to find acting classes, theatre companies, auditions, agents, etc. I asked around and managed to find an acting class taught by Jason and Justine Bateman’s dad, Kent. He had an acting class in the valley that I mostly signed up for because I had a major crush on his son, Jason. Jason wasn’t a big movie star back then but he was on a TV show. Two! (YouTube: sitcoms, “Silver Spoons” and “Hogan’s Family.” Read more>>

Loren McKay

My father raised me as a single dad. He was the best “daddy” for a little girl, and now that I’m an adult he’s the best dad and friend anyone could ever ask for. He instilled a very hard work ethic in me as he was headmaster of International and national schools for. Over 40 years. Without his advice and guidance I would not be where I am today. He is incredibly professional and instilled in me very strong and pro work ethics. Today I’m transitioning from Massage Therapist to Spa Director. I’ve been practicing for almost 20 years and that combined with what my father taught me about quality, standards, kindness, people skills, and professionalism is brought to this next incredible step. Read more>>

Pearl Madryga

I hold a deep sense of gratitude for my parents in relation to my death work. They have never really understood what I do fully but they show up. They support me because they love me unconditionally. This is precious because this is exactly why I offer a living funeral ceremony and why I educate about death work – to feel more real, seen, and loved as you are. They’re both models of undying affirmation and I know they will always have my back. I will remember them this way when they die. Read more>>

SHIVALI MEHRA

Being one of four children, my parents had the chance to test out different parenting styles with each of us. Though they claim, “We raised all our children the same,” I would like to differ. I am a self-proclaimed “Meldest” child. My older sister is 9 years older than me, and then I have two younger siblings, each a few years apart. So, even though I was a middle child, I was raised as such to be the role model to the younger two. Now before I get to where they differed in raising me, I want to address the values they taught all of us children. The importance of family and family quality time was always emphasized. Both had their own businesses and worked every day for long hours, but when they were home, all of us were required to be in the living room together. Read more>>

Shawn McDonough

I can honestly say they’ve done everything right. Are they perfect at all times? No, nobody is, but what they’ve given me my whole life and why I say “everything” is because they have given me true love. Not the fake love or “appearance” love. TRUE GENUINE LOVE. Loving support with full hearts and kindness. I’m beyond blessed to have parents that whole heartedly love me. There’s many that unfortunately have not received that or have no idea what that’s like. It’s beautiful and without that love and them being honest with me, treating me fairly and guiding me in proper directions, I wouldn’t be the person I am today or be as successful as I am with my business. Read more>>

David Crismon

What my parents got right, was they left me alone to learn and explore drawing on my own. They were not micro-managers, or so concerned with future career earnings that they stiffled what I was already enjoying. Now, as a college professor talking to new students and parents, I sometimes see the unfortunate situations where the kid has not been so lucky. I think my parents were just glad that I had found something that kept me occupied and interested. Today, I would be considered ADHD – but my parents saw my love for art and drawing, and began to ask my elementary teachers to channel that same interest to other areas in school beyond drawing. Read more>>

Lacey L. Bakker

Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember my parents and grandparents telling me, “You can be anything you want.” I took that to heart, but for a long time, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I got to college, they encouraged me to take business courses, so I went into Marketing and Advertising. My dad is an entrepreneur, so I’ve been around the whole being your own boss idea for a really long time, and my mom has always encouraged me in my business and in every other endeavour that I’ve embarked upon. Their work ethics and the values they’ve instilled in me over the years have definitely paid off in my own business. Read more>>

Jess Paul

 I didn’t grow up wealthy, but I also never found myself wanting. They always filled in the holes: my dad took the night shifts to be my daytime caregiver and my mom being a dynamic source of creativity by crafting, reading to us and exposing us to eccentric flea markets and local entertainment that always sparked my sense of wonder. Then, as I got older and got my hands filthy in play acting, writing and drawing, my parents were the kind of people who figuratively put my accomplishments on the fridge, which is something I do to this day: hanging my awards and best memories around where I can be reminded of the ladder rungs I’ve already climbed. Read more>>

Karyn Cunningham

The list of things my parents did right is long and so is the list of things that they probably did wrong. I think both are equally important. The things they did right, I try to emulate and the things they did wrong, I learn from and try not to repeat. I was adopted at birth and am proud to have been chosen to be a part of my family. I come from a long line of strong women. My mother, her mother, and my father’s mother were all Irish immigrants and came to the United States to forge a new life and live the “American Dream”. Each in their own way taught me to be strong, resilient, kind, caring and most of all to put family, faith and community above all else. Read more>>

Edward Muñoz

I was the first born to a family of twelve children. My parents may have done some things wrong, but they also did a lot of things right. They always stressed the importance of education. They also by way of role modeling, taught us to be self-sufficient. There was no calling a repairman or maid, we, as taught by both parents, cleaned our own space, laundered our clothes, we even fixed whatever problems we had with the house or appliances. My Dad, among other things had a TV and appliance repair shop. We learned a lot just standing next to him. We also learned that when we hit a snag, it was not only OK to ask for help, but we were encouraged to do so. Many is the time I saw my Dad call one of his friends over for advice on a repair job . Read more>>

Whitlei Neal

What my mom did best is instill me with confidence and resilience. I feel that there is nothing in this world that I cannot achieve if I put my mind to it. Everything that I have and everything that I am has come from hard work and dedication. Read more>>