How I Ruined My Child's Business Dream in Portugal

This passage describes a poignant moment of realization for a parent about the impact of their words and actions on their child's aspirations and creativity.

Here are some key insights:

1. Immediate dismissal: The parent's first instinct was to quickly dismiss the child's business idea, even though they felt internal pride at their child's creativity.

2. Cognitive dissonance: There was a clear conflict between the parent's outward reaction (dismissing the idea) and their inner feelings (pride in their child's thinking).

3. Awareness of harm: As the parent continued to speak against the idea, they became increasingly aware of the emotional pain they were causing their child.

4. Loss of control: The parent expresses a feeling of being unable to stop themselves from continuing to discourage the child, even as they recognized the harm being done.

5. Reflection and regret: The parent spent time meditating on the incident, indicating deep reflection and likely remorse for their actions.

6. Attempt at reconciliation: The next day, the parent made a conscious effort to reconnect with the child, holding their hand and expressing emotion (crying), which suggests an attempt to repair the emotional damage and possibly apologize.

7. Emotional impact on the parent: The incident clearly had a strong emotional effect on the parent as well, leading to tears and a need to make amends.

8. Lesson in parenting: This anecdote serves as a powerful reminder of how parents' reactions can significantly impact their children's confidence and willingness to share ideas in the future.

9. Cultural context: The fact that this occurred during a trip to Portugal adds an interesting dimension, as travel experiences often lead to new ideas and perspectives.

10. Importance of encouragement: The story highlights the value of encouraging children's ideas and creativity, even if the ideas seem impractical at first glance.

This experience likely served as a pivotal moment for the parent in understanding the importance of nurturing their child's creativity and dreams, even if they seem unrealistic.

It also demonstrates the complexity of parent-child relationships and the lasting impact that seemingly small interactions can have.

This story must resonate with many of you parents out there. No matter how hard we try, we still make mistake during parenting stage, right?

Founder and Family Therapists
(w) mybluegenes.com
(e) rachele@ mybluegenes.com