I’ve been on a journey to build my confidence in parenting and, honestly, in myself. I’ve become more resilient to outside judgment—like when strangers think my kids have too much screen time or when they insist on wearing their superhero costumes to the grocery store. Honestly, I couldn’t care less! If someone whispers their disapproval about my kids’ shenanigans, I roll my eyes and move on. I’m proud of my ability to stand firm against negative opinions.
But here’s the twist: I didn’t expect to struggle with accepting a genuine compliment. Just the other day, a new mom friend, Emily, called me an “easygoing parent,” and I completely freaked out. I panicked, thinking she was subtly calling me lazy or insinuating that I was a less-than-stellar parent compared to her. Thankfully, my husband, always the calm one, reassured me that Emily meant exactly what she said—no hidden messages, just a straightforward compliment.
So why did I lose it over something so simple? Because I’ve never been great at accepting compliments. Whether it’s societal pressures, how we grew up, or what we see on TV, many of us struggle to believe that someone would genuinely say something nice about us or our kiddos. We downplay it. “Oh sure, they’re perfect now, but you should’ve seen them a minute ago.” Or we say “thank you,” but in our minds, we’re thinking, “I have no idea whose kids you’re talking about, but it’s not mine!”
So many of us misread compliments from friends, family, and even strangers. When someone says our hair looks great, they’re just being nice. They’re not implying we looked terrible before; they’re simply acknowledging that at this moment, we look good. Instead of reading between the lines or letting negative thoughts creep in, we should just toss our hair, smile, and say “thank you.”
The same goes for parenting. If your mom says your kids were angels while they stayed with her, believe her! If a random person admires your son’s pirate costume at the park, just accept it. And if an older gentleman sees you attempting to keep your kids from knocking down a display at Target and tells you that you’re doing great, let those words resonate. Breathe them in and let them motivate you to keep being the best parent you can be.
Let’s make a pact right now: let’s start believing compliments. Let’s choose to accept that when someone praises us, they genuinely mean it. We should take pride in ourselves, our choices, our families, our homes—everything! We are remarkable women, filled with beauty, strength, grace, and courage. If someone recognizes that and offers a kind word, let’s soak it in and strut our stuff!
From this day forward, when someone compliments me or my parenting, I’m choosing to hear it just as it’s said. I’ll shoo away the negative voice in my head and simply respond with a “thank you.” And then, because I’m clearly crushing it at this parenting gig, I’ll treat myself to an extra glass of wine.
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In summary, let’s embrace compliments and boost our confidence as parents. We all deserve to feel good about ourselves and our choices.