18 Parents Who Had Their Children’s Back, No Matter What

Parent-child relationships can be challenging at times. Yet, some people seem to have truly lucked out, enjoying supportive and caring mothers and fathers who are always ready to help. Their uplifting stories warm our hearts and remind us to hold our loved ones close.

• My parents are imperfect, but they did a lot of things right. The biggest one that sticks out to me is that they’re supportive of things my brother and I like, even when they don’t understand or like it. They didn’t really care for skateboarding, but they spent hundreds of dollars over the years for my brother to enjoy his hobby.
  They not only helped me get a drum set, but allowed the band to hold practice in our basement and drove us to all our shows. Plus, they wanted me to be a lawyer, but they were willing to settle for line cook. It made a difference in the long run, because eventually it helped me realize that I get to make my own choices in life, nothing is laid out for me. I can do whatever I enjoy, and my parents will be there for me, cheering me on. © mgraunk / Reddit
• My parents weren’t perfect and they weren’t wealthy. My dad was abandoned as a child, in a state, thousands of miles away from home, raised with a bunch of people he wasn’t related to. My mom was a child of divorced parents, and hated by her stepparents. They found each other and worked very hard so me, my sister, and my brother never had to go through those same troubles. Both of my parents have trauma from their youth, my dad can be paranoid, my mom struggles with depression, but they never abandoned us.
  When my cousin was starving because my aunt was out, they took him in, and he became my brother. Sometimes they argue, sometimes they yell, but they never laid hands on each other. They’ve been there for me countless times, even when it cost everything. Now that I’m older, I’m trying my hardest to be there for them, because I know now what they’ve done for us. They broke the cycle. © Benjaminb***c**** / Reddit

• My son is about to turn 13. A year ago, I decided to clear the balcony of junk and, at the same time, teach my son how to earn money. I installed a marketplace app on his phone and showed him how to use it.
  We agreed that he would keep all the money he earned, but he would have to conduct all negotiations himself. Over the following months, he sold bicycles, old plumbing fixtures, dead phones, a scooter, a blanket, etc. With the money raised, my son bought a new phone.
  As a result, he learned how to talk to strangers and explain some details about the things he was selling. I instilled in him the knowledge that he owns what he’s earned and that he decides how to spend his own money. I instilled willpower in him to save money, not to run and spend it immediately on all sorts of goodies. Oh, and I also cleared the balcony. © nkeladib / Pikabu
• When I was little, we lived near a freeway. I asked my mom one time how far the freeway went, and where we would be if we just got on it and kept driving. She had a map. Did she show it to me? Nope. She said, “Let’s see.”
  We hopped in the car and drove for hours until we were both tired of it, THEN pulled out the map and found a route home along the shore of one of the US Great Lakes. This was in the 80s, before GPS or cellphones. I was maybe 10, and she let me navigate home.
  She could have just told me or shown me on the map without leaving the couch, but she wanted me to know... and maybe she wanted to know herself. That’s how she’s always been — it’s amazing. © Panic_Azimuth / Reddit

• When I failed my first year at Uni, they didn’t get angry or upset. My mom sat down next to me while I was bawling my eyes out in shame, and hugged me until I calmed down.
  She said it wasn’t the end of my life, and that she was, and always will be, proud of me.
  © forgetful-giraffe / Reddit
• They showed up to everything, every game, award ceremony, or school play. They did their best and showed up. Even when I was the least talented kid, or I only closed the curtains for the show — they were there to support me. © punk***_book_jockey8 / Reddit
• My wife and I have introduced a concept called the “Saturday sack” to our kids. The rule is that before bedtime, the kids put their toys away. Anything that hasn’t been put away is collected in this bag and put away for at least a week. If a toy ends up in the bag for the second time, it is put away for a month because its value is obviously low for our children. © godwarz / Pikabu

• Mom noticed red lipstick on Dad’s collar. Didn’t say anything. A couple of days later, she found marks from foundation on his sleeve, and then she got furious. She gave Daddy a hard time.
  He admitted he was taking makeup classes, which made Mom even more furious.
  But Daddy showed he wasn’t lying by doing my makeup! Dad proved his point and said, “I have 3 daughters. I have to be a good father to them and be able to do everything!” © Ward #6 / VK
• A friend’s 14-year-old daughter once said, “Give me money for a tattoo!” The worst thing was that she wanted to get a tattoo on her face! So my friend and his daughter discussed a plan. They agreed to go to a tattoo artist over the weekend. “I’ll pay double the price,” my friend said, “but first you do it without ink, and only after that with ink.” When he discussed this with the artist, he asked him in a whisper to make the first round as painful as possible. As soon as the artist began to work on her cheek, his daughter howled because it hurt so badly.
  That night they returned home, and everyone was happy. Mom and Dad were happy because the daughter didn’t spoil her pretty face, and the daughter was happy because she didn’t have to endure any pain — if she didn’t agree to a test round, she’d have to endure pain until the very end. I think the father did the right thing. He kept a good relationship with his daughter. And if he tried to force her not to do it, she would have done it anyway out of spite.
  © volchek1024 / Pikabu

• My mom went with me to college to help me get settled there. Once everything was sorted out, she left late at night and gave me all her money, except for enough for her bus ticket home. I was happy that I was free from parental care and rushed off to party with other students.
  However, my mother didn’t catch the last bus and spent the night at the bus station, as her money was only enough for a ticket and a cup of tea with a biscuit. I only found out about it 7 years later, and I cried terribly. © Not everyone will understand / VK
• I was raised by my dad alone, so I’m a jack of all trades. Changing a light bulb is an easy task for me — I can also do some wiring and rebuild a car.
  It was my dad who made me love cars, and I became a taxi driver. Male passengers look at me surprised, as if they’ve never seen a woman driving before. These men don’t know that I can do push-ups from the floor and also love fishing! © Caramel / VK

• I was pregnant when I discovered my husband was having an affair. I wanted to leave him. With no job or savings, the future terrified me. My mother told me to stay. Her reasoning was simply who else would support us. One day, the bell rang, and it was my stepdad. He told me to pack my stuff, and move in with them.
  He owned a store, and gave me a job, enough for me to support myself through my pregnancy. To be honest, he did more for me than my own parents did. Today, I’m happily remarried and have two more kids. Oh, and I named my first child, a daughter, after him. He’s no longer with us, but I still feel the love and always will.
• My mom was driving us home when a car came and hit us, hard. I don’t remember much because I hit my head, and was bleeding. She called 911, gave me first aid, and held my hand, throughout. I remember it was her hand holding mine tightly that got me through the ambulance ride to the hospital.
  My dad rushed into emergency, she got up and shocked everyone by crumpling onto the floor in a dead faint. The impact had left her with four broken ribs, but all she could think of was getting me to safety and the treatment I needed. We still call her the iron lady at home!

It’s not just biological parents who prove to be gems. Here are some adoptive parents who were nothing less than a miracle for the children they welcomed into their hearts.