Celebrating Yourself for Re-Parenting Your Inner Child
Whether you're a mother or not, if you have worked to re-parent yourself in any way, taking the time to celebrate yourself this Mother's Day is essential. Celebrating Mother's Day can be a way to connect with others and validate our healing journey, reminding us that we are not alone.
Mother's Day is a time to celebrate and honor mothers and mother figures, but for women who are re-parenting their inner child, Mother's Day can be a complex and emotional time. If you are re-parenting your inner child and you are in the process of giving yourself the nurturing and love you may have missed out on during your childhood, like many women, it’s important that you celebrate yourself on Mother’s Day. You are breaking generational cycles, healing yourself from the inside out, and making the world a better place.
Doing inner child work can feel a lot like “parent-bashing”, but it's essential to acknowledge that re-parenting is about validating our wounds, and understanding that our parents are products of their own inner child wounding, but without the awareness or resources that we may now have to break the generational cycles of dysfunction. Re-parenting ourselves can be a challenge because it means we have to take responsibility for our healing, and give ourselves the love and care we have always deserved- something that may feel triggering, especially if we were parentified as children! If you are struggling to re-parent yourself, you don’t have to do it alone. You can process the challenges of reparenting yourself in therapy or through healthy interactions with supportive loved ones in your life.
Celebrating Mother's Day can be a powerful way to recognize the progress we've made on our re-parenting journey. For women who have experienced dysfunction in their childhoods, re-parenting can be a challenging and often painful process. Celebrating Mother's Day can be a reminder of the progress we've made, a testament to our resilience, and can serve as an opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which we've overcome our past experiences and learned to love ourselves. It can also be a way to honor the mothers and mother figures who have played a positive role in our lives. While our mothers may not have provided us with the love and care we needed, there may have been other women who have stepped in to help fill that role.
Celebrating Mother's Day can be a way to connect with others and validate our healing journey, reminding us that we are not alone. Whether you're a mother or not, if you have worked to re-parent yourself in any way, taking the time to celebrate yourself this Mother's Day is essential. Here are some ideas on how to do just that:
Lean into self-compassion: Try to practice not being so hard on yourself, and remember that your inner critic or negative self-talk is very likely related to your inner child wounding.
Treat yourself: It's important to take care of yourself and indulge in self-care.
Reflect on your progress: Take some time to reflect on your progress. Whether it's having more self-compassion, externalizing negative messaging from your family of origin, or undoing toxic behaviors that were modeled to you in your childhood, celebrate your achievements and the hard work it took to get there.
Connect with loved ones: Spend time with the people who love and support you. Whether it's a phone call, a video chat, or a visit, connecting with loved ones can help you feel valued and appreciated.
Practice gratitude: Take a moment to focus on the things you're grateful for in your life. Whether it's your health, your family, your career, or simply the beauty of nature, practicing gratitude can help you feel more positive and content.
Indulge in your hobbies: Whether it's reading, painting, or hiking, make time for the things you love. Indulging in your hobbies can help you feel more fulfilled and happy.
Celebrate with other women: This can be a great opportunity to connect with other women who understand the journey of healing inner child wounding.
Remember, celebrating yourself is not selfish, but an act of self-care and self-love. Take some time this Mother's Day to honor and celebrate yourself, and remember that you are deserving of love and appreciation. If you are interested in processing some of your inner child wounding, drop-in anytime to one of my women’s groups, where you will feel emotionally held and validated so you do not have to feel alone on your journey to re-parent yourself!
Kaci Smith, LMFT
I am a licensed psychotherapist in California. I run online, drop-in therapy groups for women in California. Visit my website to learn more!