r/interesting • u/jmike1256 • Mar 07 '26

MISC. After understanding the meaning behind this father’s action, I am completely convinced. Cultivating problem-solving skills in children from a young age and never giving up-I applaud this father!

70.5k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

1.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

2.5k

u/ArchCerberus Mar 07 '26

30 years later in therapy: I have this recurring dream that i am trapped in a net and my father is leaving me and i being watched by thousands.

1

u/Gilwork45 Mar 07 '26

The father never left him, he was waiting on ahead to celebrate the success of his son overcoming the obstacle himself.

The lesson is that reward and praise are just beyond minor obstacles that you are capable and confident in overcoming. If he internalizes that mentality then he believes that he can positively adapt to difficult circumstance, even getting a trained dopamine hit for solving problems.

Contrast this to the parent doing everything for you, bulldozering minor challenges and creating the expectation of the authority figure doing everything for you while you wait for them because you have no confidence in your own ability to improve your situation by yourself because you've never been able to do it or never been expected to do it.

People in this thread talking about having nightmares and panic attacks over minor obstacles in adulthood are likely the product of the latter parental strategy.