I read far too often about parents apologizing for bragging on their kids and it blows my mind. Why in the world would someone apologize for acknowledging something that made them proud of their child? If we can't brag on them, then who should or who will?
I was raised by a coach, a motivational speaker. So, guess what? My dad, the motivational speaker, bragged on me. Every single day of my life...up until the very last conversation we had which took place the day before Father's Day in 2013. My dad looked me in the eyes and told me how proud he was of me. Even as a 32 year old (at the time) it encouraged me and brought tears to my eyes. My dad WAS PROUD of me. Through all the mistakes that I had made, he was still proud. I will live the rest of my life knowing my dad was proud of me. Because too often in life, others see our failures or our mistakes. They don't want to see the good or acknowledge certain events in your life. My dad chose to focus on how I overcame. He chose to see what I had done to push through obstacles in my life to get ahead even if I got knocked down on several occasions. He would leave me notes on my bed at night when I was a little girl which turned into e-mails the older I got. Notes that said I was beautiful. Notes that said I was talented or smart. Notes that said he was proud to have me as his daughter. Notes that simply said I LOVE YOU. Now it didn't stop there. My mom would leave me notes as well when I performed well at a piano competition or when I made good grades. My parents were constantly bragging on me. They were not ashamed of who I was. They were not ashamed of my brothers. They chose to see the good in each of us. We all know that Beck (the middle child) was and is still the favorite. It's a joke in our family but can't you see why he was the favorite? Of course, I'm just picking. We were all treated the same because our parents knew we all had our strengths. My oldest brother is a great golfer. He is a talented writer. He is an artist. He is one of the smartest people I know...smart tail too! My older brother Beck was the athlete. He was a powerhouse. He was always popular wherever he ended up. That was Beck. People have always been drawn to him. Then there was me...the baby of the family. The youngest of the 3 kids...and the sister of 2 older brothers. So, I was tough! I was the pianist of the family. I was the pageant girl and cheerleader. I was also picked on so you can understand where I get my feistiness. We were all different and still are but that didn't change how our parents viewed us. They bragged on us and that was alright.
No matter the age of your child, it's okay to brag on them. It's okay to acknowledge publicly what they have accomplished. It's also okay to let them know by leaving them a note or calling them spontaneously. You are their parent. You should be their #1 fan and never have to apologize for bragging on the child you brought into this world. I'm sure people get annoyed on how often I post pictures of my little boy...but guess what? I will never stop. My little boy is my pride and joy. I will brag on him when it is deserved.
A picture perfect moment happened at a recent football game. A teammates mom told all the players to go sit on the white line under the field goal. One by one they all walked over to the line. I wasn't really paying much attention until I heard my little boy ask me if he could play with all the other boys. As I looked up at my little boy...I saw that my 6 year old was still sitting on the white line pointing to the 11 other players that did not obey. I know that he was confused because every single little boy was playing but him. I simply told him that he could not because he needed to obey. At that time, I walked over to him and gave him the biggest hug and told him how proud I was that he obeyed. He did not follow the other boys. After the game, he was excited because he played well. I told him that didn't make me as happy as him obeying. I WAS proud. I know what my dad would have done and that's exactly what I did. I bragged on him. I let him know that what he did was a moment worth a little bragging.
Now my child doesn't always obey but when moments like that happen, he deserves to know he made me proud. It's okay to brag on your child. Don't ever let them feel they have to seek or fight for your approval. Let them know before they have to come to you and ask if you are proud of them.
I lost my biggest fan. The person that bragged on me. The one I knew was proud of me. But one thing I did not lose...memories. Memories of the moments in my life that my dad bragged on me. I will carry those with me for the rest of my life.
My little boy will never question if he makes me proud. I will brag on him...and I will not apologize. I hope that you will look around your world...who deserves to be acknowledged? Some things in life just shouldn't go unnoticed. When given the chance...brag on someone in your world!
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