My kids are living a life in 2022 that is 100% different than the life I lived in 90s when I was their age.

And there are things I realize as an adult that I’ve done completely different than my parents to help break patterns that I was raised with growing up. Here are some things I’ve done differently as a parent that are important for me to share:

#1 - Play all the sports

My mom was a stay at home mom while my dad worked to support the family. It was a struggle sometimes but he always made ends meet. With a sister close in age, we rarely got to do sports because of the cost. So it’s important for me to give my kids the opportunities I didn’t get to have growing up. My 10 year old has tried every sport from karate to baseball, and now he’s in water polo and loving it! My 3 year old will begin his sports journey with soccer and I’m so blessed to be able to give them these experiences.

#2 - Keeping the window of communication open.

Another thing I realized is the lack of communication, especially when it came to sharing emotions. I am very intuitive with my kids and their emotions and always encourage them to share and open up with me any time they need it so they don’t learn to keep their feelings hidden. I work hard to establish an emotional connection so they know that I’m there for them always.

#3 - Continue the road to self growth always!

This one is HUGE! It’s important to put the work into yourself that you need to do in order to grow and be the best parent you can be, because that’s what your kids deserve. You’re setting an example for your kids, they’ll learn how to respect, how to process emotions, how to listen, and how to love, just by watching you! Be sure you put your mental and physical health first so you truly can be a present parent.

According to William S. Burroughs he said: ‘When you stop growing you start dying’, so let’s grow together!!!