Embracing Observation in Parenting Conversations

Lately, I’ve been practicing a different kind of growth. Not the loud, motivational kind, but the quiet, observational kind.

I’ve noticed that when I speak up around my kids, I sometimes get met with critiques that feel sharper than I expect. Maybe I started it… maybe it’s just a generational thing. I’m sure I’ve done the same to my parents. But instead of reacting, I’m sitting with it.

They’re all in their 20s now… young adults finding their own way and I can feel the shift. They are their own people. They don’t need me in the same way they once did, and they’re showing that in how they respond, how they assert themselves, how they push back.

I’m realizing how much strength it takes to not speak. To just observe. To allow. To hold back the advice or the commentary. To stretch mentally and emotionally to be present and still. And I know this is important… if I want to have a relationship with them as adults, I have to allow them to be without my words.

Friends with kids similar ages, can you relate?