How Healing My Inner Child Helped Me Become a Better Parent, With Rhea Vo
Here at Gerber Childrenswear, we aim to share parenting journeys of all kinds, all year long. We're excited to share Rhea's journey with her little.
First off, what is an inner child? Well according to Google it is, “a person's supposed original or true self, especially when regarded as damaged or concealed by negative childhood experiences.”
Hi, my name is Rhea and I am a motherhood and lifestyle content creator in Seattle, WA. I was born in the Philippines and moved to the States with my parents at the age of 5. As a child, my immigrant parents worked 6 days a week to make sure we survived, so they missed many school functions and rarely had time to create joyful childhood experiences with me or my younger brother. Instead, we were raised by our grandmother who spoke little to no English. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents dearly and am so grateful for their sacrifices and hard work. However, as a child, I didn’t understand it, which led to me feeling rejected, disappointed and frustrated.
As an adult, I realized that certain situations triggered similar strong emotions.
When I became a mom to my son, Jace, I knew I needed to heal my inner child to become a better parent for him.
One of the ways I’ve done this is by creating joyful childhood experiences together! Experiences such as going trick-or-treating for Halloween and taking photos with Santa during the Christmas season are things I never got to do as a child. Doing these with my son helps me to reconnect with my inner child, heal past hurts and gain more control in my life. It’s what gave me the courage to make the decision to quit my job as a behavioral technician and pursue my passion as a content creator,. But most importantly, it gives myself the opportunity to stay home with my son and be present.
Rhea's son in his DIY dinosaur halloween wearing Our Softest Edit Ocean Teal Snug Fit Footed Pajamas
If by reading this you realized you may also need to work on healing your inner child, here are 3 more ways that helped me:
1. Write a letter to your inner child. - Writing has always been a great release for me. In this case, I wrote to my younger self where I validated her feelings, then provided words of comfort and encouragement.
2. Say positive affirmations out loud. - People may feel like talking to yourself is uncomfortable or even cringey, but the more you do it, the more it makes you feel better! Try affirmations such as “I matter” and “I love myself.”
3. Let your inner child come out to play. - Whether it’s jumping in puddles on a rainy day or making a fort with the couch cushions, go and do that! Better yet, have your kids join you!
Overall, I learned that by nurturing that little girl inside of me, I can be more present as a parent to my own child and help create a childhood full of wonder, happiness and love.
