"Did you deserve that hurt at 10 years old? Absolutely the hell not. But here's the thing: Who's to say that the tough times can't serve as lessons, teaching us what not to repeat? Now that we're grown, it is up to us to decide what kind of parents we want to be for our own children - and for many, that means grabbing generational cycles by the throat and shoving them straight into the trash can."
"As the firstborn daughter with a younger sister, my mom has always favoured her over me. Flash forward to being a mom myself, I was extremely wary of having a second child, as I never wanted my firstborn (a daughter) to ever feel the way I felt at the hands of my mother. I did have a second child (a son), and I think because I was hyper aware of how I didn't want my daughter to feel, I am"
Many adults carry childhood experiences—positive and traumatic—that shape parenting choices. Pain experienced at young ages often feels undeserved yet can inspire lessons about what not to repeat. Parents commonly resolve to protect children from comparisons, favoritism, forced physical contact, arbitrary denials, emotional neglect, and abuse. Some parents who lacked biological children still honor boundaries by not forcing affection. Others remain vigilant to treat siblings equally to avoid repeating parental favoritism. Breaking generational cycles requires conscious effort, clear communication, empathy, boundary-setting, and intentional behavior changes to create safer, more supportive environments for the next generation.
Read at BuzzFeed
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