The source of a parent’s pride in their child can come from surprising places filled with tiny actions that speak to a deeper sense of self-confidence. A deep breath taken to calm themselves down, an outfit that almost matches put on alone and with enthusiasm, a song sung in their soft, melodic voice or a simple look given that tells you there are a million reasons to be proud. You never know when the next moment will occur that gives you pause and allows you to bask in your child’s accomplishments, but you know it will be delightful.
My most recent experience like this was with my three year old at our dinner table. We play a game or do an activity most nights after eating; on this night our activity was a number mosaic in which you attach the appropriate color to the appropriate number to create an underwater world. I pointed to 14 and asked my daughter if she knew this number as we had recently started working on double digits. After a thoughtful pause, she stated simply, “I don’t know.” And herein lies one of my proudest moments to date as a parent.
