While watching your child struggle triggers every protective instinct, the parents who resist jumping in to help are actually giving their kids a hidden advantage that shows up decades later in surprising ways.
Adult children rarely say “thank you for raising me,” but they show their gratitude in unexpected ways—from seeking your advice on major decisions to gently correcting your smartphone struggles with the same patience you once showed them.
While wealthy kids counted their weekly allowance, we were learning to turn cardboard into castles and discovering that the best things in life aren’t bought—they’re built, earned, and shared.
These eight simple practices can transform strained or distant family relationships into the deep, meaningful connections you’ve always wanted—and psychology shows they work regardless of past conflicts or current tensions.
While they may have stumbled through parenthood with anxiety and rigid rules, these individuals transform into their best selves when the grandkids arrive, revealing hidden superpowers that make their own children wonder, “Where was this person when we were growing up?”
The grandfather who now spoils your kids rotten and tears up at their finger paintings is the same man who once grounded you for missing curfew—and understanding why changes everything about how you see him.
Growing up meant waiting months to watch your favorite movie, dealing with bullies face-to-face, and entertaining yourself with nothing but a stick and your imagination—experiences that accidentally forged an unshakeable mental toughness that no app or therapy can replicate today.
While many adults struggle to connect with their parents beyond obligatory holiday calls, those who maintained close bonds share surprisingly specific childhood experiences that shaped their relationships—from how their families handled dinner conversations to the way mistakes were treated as experiments rather than failures.
While you’re frantically googling parenting advice at 2 AM and stressing over every developmental milestone, grandparents are calmly sipping coffee, knowing secrets about raising kids that take most of us decades to discover.
From teaching the lost art of whittling to revealing why dishes can wait for one more bedtime story, grandparents possess a secret curriculum that transforms hurried childhoods into something far richer than any parent racing through morning routines could ever provide.
From blank checks at the grocery store to disappearing until the streetlights came on, the freedoms we had as 70s kids would have today’s parents calling child protective services on our own parents.
When my five-year-old announced to our entire Thanksgiving gathering that I’m “not like other moms” because I send “weird snacks” and make life difficult, the silence that followed shattered every belief I had about the mother I thought I was.
The Artful Parent is a resource for families and educators. We help you raise creative kids with art activities, seasonal crafts, and family fun!