Whose Opinion Are You Carrying? A Parenting Moment That Changed My Perspective

The other day, my son and daughter were arguing over something.

My son came to me visibly upset, saying he was angry because his sister had said something untrue about him.

I asked him a simple question:

“If you didn’t actually do it, why is it bothering you so much?”

I told him that sometimes it’s okay to ignore and move on.

Not every misunderstanding needs our energy. Not every opinion deserves space in our minds.

....And then I caught myself.

Isn’t this something many of us adults do all the time?

We worry about what people might think or say. We replay conversations. We imagine judgments that may not even exist.

And sometimes, we let those imagined thoughts become the reason we hesitate, hold back, or don’t act at all.

That moment reminded me that growth isn’t just about teaching our kids.

It is also about noticing where we still need to grow ourselves.

Whose opinion are you carrying today that may not actually matter?

Would love to hear your thoughts.