I can say as a parent with nearly twelve years of experience we do often try to correct the mistakes of our past through our children. It is, for me at least, instinctual. I failed at football, so I created the conditions for my children to succeed. I hit a wall with motivation and follow through that has lasted for the better part of two decades. I am trying to teach my kids to finish what they start. I over book and thus overwork myself–leaving little time for me and plenty of time for everyone who has need of me. I see that in my children and fight to stamp it out. All of these ‘ills’ that helped shape who I am today I am forcefully redirecting my children away from, thus making them into–not me, but a version of me that I was never capable of becoming myself. It is selfish but maybe it is also a good thing to learn from your mistakes and send some of that learning to your kids.
I’m not yet done growing, learning, writing, failing, succeeding… living. I know that I’ll stumble and I will learn from falling down. Perhaps of all the lessons I carry forward to them, this specifically has merit: Just get back up and learn why you fell down in the first place.