I grew up thinking respect meant silence

 I grew up thinking respect meant silence.

That love meant obedience.
That “talking back” meant I was being difficult.

But now that I’m a mom, I see it so differently.
I want my kids to tell me when something I do hurts them.
I want them to feel safe enough to say, “That made me sad,” or “I didn’t like that,”
without being afraid of how I’ll react.

Because that’s how healing starts.
That’s how the cycle breaks.
When our kids learn that their voice matters
even with us.