Pat Yourself on the Back, Parents

By Tyler Hayden | August 13, 2026

**Read more from our 2026 Indy Parenting cover story here.**

Parenting can be full of self-doubt that’s rooted in a deep love for our kids, constant high-stakes decision-making, and intense pressure to be perfect. We asked our readers to describe a time they felt confident — and particularly proud — of themselves as a parent. When they stopped and thought, “Dang, I’m actually pretty good at this!”

Here are some of their responses. To submit your own, email indyparenting@independent.com.

Gina Fischer made every bit of her family’s pirate costumes, even the hats, mostly with stuff from Art From Scrap | Credit: Courtesy

Halloween Tradition

Around the second week of September, I ask my son what he wants to be for Halloween. My mom and brother handmade every one of my childhood costumes, and I carry that on.

Once my son tells me what he wants to be, I do my best to deliver — making everything handmade or altering secondhand finds, and making it a family theme. So far, he has chosen to be a spider, the Wizard from Where’s Waldo, a werewolf, and a pirate.

Why the second week of September? It shortens the window in which he can change his mind while still giving me enough time to figure out how to make everything.

I’m proud that I can use my creativity — and a tradition from my own childhood — to make a little magic for him. —Gina Fischer

Words of Encouragement

It’s kinda a small moment. It happened today. My son is 2 years and 9 months old. He was pulling a pull toy over the door jamb to get it outside and said to it, “You can do it. You got it. I’m right here.” I felt proud to hear him repeating the words of encouragement that I say to him, even if it was to an inanimate object. —Mika

The Micro-Moments

A time I was proud of myself as a new mom hasn’t been in one grand moment or a specific situation, but in the everyday micro-moments. When tiny decisions have to be made in how I react to a tantrum, how I handle the toddler climbing on the dog, how I respond to unwanted touch from grandmas in the grocery store. Trusting my intuition and trying to be all the things I wished for when I was a kid myself. A deep knowing that I am able to make the best decisions for my son.

As a first-time mom, we are flooded with advice and mom-influencers selling us the BEST product, family members with OPINIONS, and it can be so hard to silence the noise and listen to yourself and your child, but I have been able to do this, and I am extremely proud of myself for that.

Thanks for posing this question, it was nice to reflect on this parenting journey so far. Seventeen months down, a lifetime to go! —Megan Spencer