filling up the child inside us

[Jolie40]

as I parent my child, I feel that I'm also filling up the child inside me

*don't remember hugs from PD parent but I hug my child every day
*don't remember any "I love you" but child & I say "I love you every night at bedtime
*don't remember being allowed to talk  but I ask child when we're in car if they have something to discuss
*don't remember any laughs with PD parent but child & I have lots of laughs
*don't remember any praise but I say "proud of you" and praise child for accomplishments

I want to give my child what I never received
as I give to my child, feel I'm giving to the child inside me & filling up the holes


does any parent feel the same?

[SeaBreeze]

Yes. For all the dysfunctional patterns I unfortunately repeated with my choice of partners, I still parented my now-adult children very differently from how I was raised. Part of learning to parent my inner child in recent years is looking back at what I got right with my own kids and then applying that to myself. Very eye opening and truly healing.

[Liketheducks]

I have tried to parent our son in the same way.   Security, safety, listening.   I'm certain that I haven't been the perfect parent.   I'm sure some of my "cooties" will have rubbed off on our son.   But, I've done the therapy to try to fix myself.   I've tried to be open.   And, I know that when or if he ever comes to me needing help, needing to vent about his own childhood.....I WILL take ownership and do what I can to lift him up.