Cycle Breaking, Caregiving, and Parenting Differently: A Parent Appreciation Day Reflection
July 24th is Parent Appreciation Day—but if you’re in the thick of life right now, you might feel… complicated about that.
Maybe you’re a parent yourself, trying to raise your children with more intention, more softness, and more boundaries than you were ever given.
At the same time, you might also be caring for your own aging parents—navigating the tension between compassion and resentment, love and grief, duty and burnout.
This isn’t easy work. But if no one has told you this today:
You deserve appreciation, too.
Breaking Cycles While Holding Everything Else
If you grew up in the boomer generation household, you may have been taught:
Don’t talk about feelings.
Keep the peace, no matter what it costs you.
Success means sacrifice—especially your own needs.
Now here you are, raising your own children, trying to do things differently.
You’re teaching emotional intelligence…. You’re setting boundaries (even when it feels uncomfortable)…. You’re breaking generational patterns you didn’t ask for but refuse to pass down.
At the same time, you might also be managing:
The role reversal of becoming a caregiver for your parents
Navigating unresolved hurt from your own childhood
Balancing your parent’s needs with your children’s and your own
Feeling like everyone needs you and you’re running out of reserves
It’s a lot to hold. And yet—you’re still doing the work.
Grief, Guilt, and Growth Can All Coexist
Caring for aging parents while raising your own children can bring up feelings that are hard to name. Maybe you:
Grieve the parenting you didn’t receive
Feel guilty for setting boundaries with your parents now
Worry you’ll lose yourself in caretaking (again)
Fear you’re not getting it “right” with your own kids
This is normal. This is human.
Cycle breaking isn’t about being perfect—it’s about choosing differently, moment by moment, in the middle of life’s messiness.
Today, Appreciate Yourself Too
Parent Appreciation Day is about recognizing the people who raise and nurture others.
That includes you.
You are parenting differently…. You are showing up for multiple generations, often at the same time…. You are breaking patterns, even when it’s exhausting.
And you deserve appreciation—not just from others, but from yourself.
A Loving Reminder
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by caregiving, emotional labor, or cycle breaking—you don’t have to do it alone.
Therapy can help you:
Navigate complicated family roles
Set boundaries without guilt
Find compassion for yourself in this season
Heal the parts of you still hurting, while parenting with intention
💛 Ready to feel supported, too?
Schedule a consult today → https://www.unbridledlkn.com/letschat