Kids do the darnedest things, right? Sometimes they are just downright embarrassing, but that’s what we signed up for. Half of the time we are reprimanding them for not cleaning up their toys, biting other kids in daycare (yes, that’s a fun phase) or begging them to eat just one more chicken nugget. They do things that drive us crazy, but all of them, some more often than others do something so wonderful at their own discretion that we as parents can sit back and say “I raised them right”. We almost forget about the biting phase…almost.

Since we’re just a few days away from Mother’s Day, we asked actual parents to share their stories and tell us “What’s your proudest moment as a parent?” The responses we heard were lovely, inspirational, and downright funny! Read them all below.

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“Two years ago on his birthday my oldest son (then 6) decided to donate his old/good condition toys to the local Ronald McDonald House. After knowing that there was a family staying there that didn’t have many things, he asked us to take him shopping for that family. He spent all of the money that he had gathering for his birthday. He also made sure that the mom of the children staying there also got a special present. No one asked him to do this. He did it out of kindness of his heart.”

—Sal Ruiz-Esparza
Father of 2
Twitter

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“When I asked my then 6 year old daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up… her response was “free”. She wants to be compassionate and to travel the world. Her freedom would be happiness & inner peace. That made my heart melt. I’m a proud mom!”

—Karins Chavez
Mother of 2
Twitter

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“After a week of not feeling well I didn’t have to say much to my daughter. She seems to be a very perceptive girl who at times surprises me with the wisdom that she speaks. I had a moment with her that made me the proudest mom. . So, like most we usually sleep in a bit on Saturdays. I usually like to get up and lay in the bed for a few moments until I hear my daughter call out “mommy”. It is a beautiful sound that I look forward to hearing, and I would jump up and make my way to her room to greet her. Well this particular Saturday was different, and it will be remembered until my last breath. I’m sure all parents have had those moments with their little, or not so little one. I woke up and laid in my bed waiting to hear that sweet voice calling mommy, but there was an unusual silence. I thought to myself my baby girl must be really tired. I waited for a while longer and then decided that I would peek in on her and watch her sleep. When I got to the door to my surprise she was wide awake and lying on her bed looking up at me. I asked her why she didn’t call out like she usually does, and she said, “I thought you were tired and I wanted to let you sleep.” Her response melted my heart. My baby girl is growing up to be a empathetic compassionate being. Every time I think about it I have the biggest smile. So often as parents we worry about our children. We worry about so many things too many to list. We hope that they will grow into being beautiful souls. Persons of integrity and empathetic towards others. The moment I had with my child was truly beautiful and encouraging. Her response overwhelmed me. I embraced her and expressed the beauty of the moment.”

—Yonette Belinda
Mother of 1
Facebook | Twitter

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“Knowing that I have raised four hard working, loving, giving adults who always make me proud!”

—Marybeth Harrison
Mother of 4
Twitter

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“Walking into my son’s school with a box containing a dozen copies of his newly-published book, and then listening to him read the story to his third grade classmates.”

—Audrey Lintner
Mother of 1
Twitter

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“My proudest moments as a parent was when I saw my daughter being a better parent than I ever was. There is nothing better than that!”

—Shirley Van Hise
Mother of 2
Twitter

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