Parenting is an incredibly important responsibility and so we wanted to get a conversation going with input from parents in the community. We asked them: what is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent? We’ve highlighted some of the responses below.

Elissa Cherry | Birth Keeper

Become aware of and start to heal my own childhood traumas. I believe that children are mirrors of all that is unhealed within us. They show us the hurt within us that we were avoiding before they arrived and we have the choice to look at those hurts, and heal them, or ignore it and likely pass those hurts/traumas onto our children. I chose to take the invitation and work on myself so that my son can have a childhood where he gets to be a kid. I am teaching him about how to express his anger without hurting others. Read more>>

Trevor & Albina Myers | Owners of WhistleStop Shop OC

I think the most important thing that we have done and continue to do on a daily basis is to be the best example that we can be for our kids. Showing them that it is important to follow your dreams and your heart and to work hard to achieve those dreams. It’s so important to us to show our kids that you can achieve anything through hard work and dedication, and of course a whole lot of fun! Read more>>

Rebecca Hamm | Mom, Entrepreneur & President of My Luvpak

My journey to becoming a parent started down a more unconventional path. Our son joined our family when he was just over two, and my daughter 3 years later, she had just turned four. Our children’s journey had begun before us, and we did not have the ability to control anything that had happened to them prior. This is a wild, and crazy idea to come to terms with as a parent. As a parent you want nothing more than for your child to feel safe, loved, and accepted. In most cases, for biological children, this is something that just comes naturally, it’s a beautiful gift. But for many adopted children, especially those who have joined families as older children, it is something that must be taught. Read more>>