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.

Lauren Bochicchio

The best advice that anyone has ever given me came when I didn’t ask for it. It’s probably one of the few times that unsolicited advice was appreciated. I was in sixth grade and, of course, very focused on fitting in and being liked by my peers and since it was the early 2000s, I was also obsessed with Juicy Couture. I remember the most popular girl in school came in with the newest velour hoodie and I was overwhelmed with a jealousy that I had never quite felt before. I was telling my mom how unfair it was that she was both so cool and had this fabulous hoodie and she told me that “Anyone can have things. What’s far more important is who you are.” At the time, my immediate response was “no, I want the hoodie” but those words always stuck with me and created the foundation from which I developed my practice. Read more>>

Adam Mackey

My parents encouraged both analytical and creative thinking by supporting my interests in both science and arts. They created an environment where questioning and exploring ideas was welcomed, even when my creative expressions pushed boundaries – like when I wrote about reincarnation at my Catholic school. This dual nurturing of scientific rigor and creative freedom laid the foundation for my unique approach to storytelling, where I blend empirical observation with mystical exploration in works like ‘Holy Parrot’. Read more>>

Kerry Siderius

Boy, I had, and STILL have the most supportive parents a kid could ask for. They were both raised in Washington, both teachers. They had 4 of us kids and bought an apple orchard on the banks of the Columbia River in the early 70’s in the tiny town of Bridgeport Washington.

The 4 of us kids had such a wonderful childhood. Our home was right there on the sandy banks of the Columbia River. We swam, we built rafts and my brothers fished for dinner. We had horses, raised sheep in 4-H and sold them at the fair in the fall. We had bunnies, chickens ducks and geese and a huge garden. Read more>>

Davis Hattaway

For my entire life, my parents have stressed the importance of hard work and dedication. And for a long time, that hard work and dedication was centered around my education – and frankly, still is. That being said, around my sophomore year of high school, I realized that if I wanted any sort of career in music or acting, I needed to start putting all of my energy into that. It was the middle of quarantine, and there was honestly no better time to lock in. I quit the basketball team, I quit the lacrosse team, and I quit doing anything that wasn’t going to be moving my creative career forward. That was the first time I had the conversation with my folks about pursuing a creative career. Read more>>

Allison Mcgree

My parents (and grandparents) always challenged me to seek out my joy, to pursue what lit me up, and to be comfortable in the unknown steps along the way. My dad said to me, as his dad said to him, “you don’t have to find the entire string; you just need to find the end of one and start pulling.” When you find something that lights you up, listen to yourself. My parents always told me to find what I love to do, and then to find a way to make a living at it. It’s impossible to know the whole picture when you start something but finding the passion at the beginning is an incredible way to start. Read more>>

Kendra Ramsey

My mom had an incredible entrepreneurial spirit—she was always starting new businesses, searching for something she truly loved. Watching her navigate that journey taught me so much about perseverance, creativity, and the courage to take risks. She recently passed away, and I plan to carry on that same drive, determination, and spirit in my own business. Read more>>

Anthony “ant” Lopez

My first drawing that I remember my parents being proud of and making an impact on me was when I was like 5 or 6 years old. It was a drawing of a skateboarder with this huge melon shaped head wearing overalls. I drew the skateboard with four wheels instead of just two, to show some kind of depth and I remember my parents where really impressed with me adding those two extra wheels. I didn’t think it was a big deal but to them it was something to be proud of and I liked the way that made me feel. I wasn’t athletic and my dyslexia made me feel at times less than normal, so this was something that made me feel special. Read more>>

Dawn Huckelbridge

I appreciate many things my parents did, but one thing in particular is how they valued diversity and exposure. I appreciate already that they came from such different backgrounds and fell in love. My dad grew up on a family farm and was on a tractor every day since the age of 5. My mother had Arab family roots, she grew up all over the world, and finished high school on the Philly Main Line. I grew up going to family reunions on one side where we’d eat fried catfish and on the other where we’d eat raw kibbeh nayyeh and Middle Eastern food. But my mother did a lot of things that ensured I got to know people from all walks of life, and could relate to and feel comfortable with all of them. I’d go to deaf summer camps and learn ASL, or once semi-accidentally attended an extremely conservative camp in the south. Read more>>

Ciara Warren

First off, both of my parents were in the United States Marine Corps. Can you imagine having two parents in the military? Not only that, but they have a combined service of almost 50 years, longer than I’ve been alive. What did they do right? My parents raised me to be grateful for everything that we had- a place to live, the opportunity to travel abroad, the very limited time with our family in the United States, and thoughtful gifts. They encouraged me to learn and to consistently practice the leadership principles of the Marine Corps- judgement, justice, dependability, integrity, decisiveness, tact, initiative, endurance, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty and enthusiasm. Read more>>

Jacquelyn Randle

A lesson that has carried over into my adult life and career, was encouraging my curiosity and problem-solving skills.

As a naturally curious child with a love for learning, I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by books and exposed to a variety of community programs. Some of these activities piqued my interest immediately; others did not. But my parents’ approach was always the same: curiosity was to be nurtured, and problems were to be solved. In our household, saying “I don’t know” or “I can’t” was never the end of a conversation. Instead, I was always redirected to, “You don’t know right now” or “How can you figure this out?” Read more>>

Isabelle Kirsch

One of the most powerful moments in my career as a sexologist happened many years ago when I was refining a program I created to help women reconnect with their sexual desire.

It was during a session with a client who felt completely disconnected from her desire. She loved her partner, but intimacy had become something she avoided. “I just don’t feel anything anymore,” she told me. “Maybe I’m just not a sexual person and that’s just how it is now.” She was really coming to see me as a last resort and without much hope. Read more>>

Denise Brown, Md

I’m the daughter of two top-secret scientists. I grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, home to the Manhattan Project. My mom was a chemist, my dad a nuclear physicist. They worked at the same place, but couldn’t talk about what they did at work- not even with each other. At home, it was total focus on being with family and friends. Read more>>