People From Healthy Families Are Sharing The Things They Assumed Were "Normal" Growing Up

"Recently, I came across this post on the popular Ask Reddit page from user ViolatingBadgers that I thought was too cute not to share. In it, they asked people "who grew up in emotionally healthy families" to share "something you thought was normal growing up that you now realize was actually very special." The results were so wholesome and such a positive read that I thought they had to be shared. So, here are some of the best:"

"1. "My mom will drop everything if her child is in distress. I can call tonight at 3 a.m. crying and tell her I need her, no details, and she will drive to my house." 2. "My mom used to pack my lunch, and she put a little note with a compliment or encouragement in my lunch every day, all the way up through high school. My friends would make me read them out loud at lunch because they liked getting the message too. Sometimes she still slips them into my work lunches when she visits me as an adult. 😭""

"9. "We used to complain sometimes about how we wanted 'store bread.' My mom always baked our bread every week. Loved coming home from school to a fresh loaf out of the oven. But ungrateful children wanted store bread! Lol. She still makes us bread sometimes. Brings cookies and preserves, picks berries, and keeps us supplied. Food is her love language." 13. "My parents took my sister's and my mental health problems seriously and advocated for us to receive the help we needed when we were under 18. Didn't even have to ask." -u/ pokerxii"

Emotionally healthy families demonstrate immediate responsiveness during crises, consistent small rituals of care, and proactive advocacy for children's mental health. Parents show up at any hour when a child is distressed, maintain long-term supportive habits like packing encouraging lunch notes, and express love through practical, sustained acts such as baking and providing homemade food. These behaviors create security, convey unconditional support, and persist into the child's adulthood. Taking mental health concerns seriously and arranging help without being asked reinforces trust and models that emotional well-being is valued and prioritized.

Read at BuzzFeed