Parenthood is about re-raising yourself

Parenthood doesn’t just raise our kids. It raises us. As Dr. Becky explains, when we struggle to stay calm during our child’s tantrum, it’s often not about the moment itself. It’s about the feelings we never learned to handle when we were young. Our children’s emotions mirror the parts of us still learning to regulate, repair, and stay grounded. And that’s not failure. It’s an invitation. Parenting gives us the chance to grow new skills our younger selves never got to practice: patience, emotional safety, and repair. You’re not behind. You’re becoming. It makes us wonder: what if parenting is really the most powerful form of self-development there is?