People Are Sharing The Things Every Parent Should Tell Their Child, And There Are Some Serious Gems Here

    "That it's OK to ask for help, and no one will think less of them."

    Asia McLain
    by Asia McLain

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Recently, Reddit user SaladSlayer00 asked people, "What's something every parent should tell their child?" and y'all, there is some seriously real — and very touching — wisdom here:

    1. "That it's OK to be straight, gay, bi, pan, cisgender, transgender, or gender-fluid. There is no wrong sexual or gender identity. Just be yourself."

    2. "Admitting that they can be wrong sometimes. Parents are humans and they make mistakes — kids need to see that."

    —MxPlume

    "And a good parent shouldn't be afraid to apologize to their kid when they're wrong."

    —Dr_Julian_Helisent

    3. "Every parent should tell their child the proper terminology for their genitals. Vagina, penis, vulva, testicles — these are not dirty words."

    "Other adults aren't always going to know what your kid means if they say, 'Someone played with my "monkey" or my "tutu,"' and predators won't use the proper names either. So it serves as another deterrent to abuse."

    —jebelle87

    4. "That it's alright to make a mistake, as long as you can admit it and grow from it."

    5. "To be their own person, not who someone else wants them to be."

    —ohiojeepdad

    6. "That it's OK to not want to give someone affection. I saw a post in which a mother taught her daughter to always say 'hello,' but that if she didn't want a hug or kiss on the cheek, she was never forced to do so."

    —niavaldero

    7. "To be kind. You never know what someone might be going through."

    8. "To speak up and say what's on their mind. So many kids are taught that it's rude to talk back to their parents that it sometimes robs them of the confidence to speak up anywhere."

    —Fulltergeist

    9. "Your mental illness is not a weakness."

    —babooskaaaa

    "And that you don’t have to be happy all the time. It’s OK to feel what you need to feel."

    —heyheymse

    10. "How their bodies work — no, how they really work. Periods, sex, poop, everything."

    11. "That it's OK to walk away from a fight. It doesn't make you less of a man, and walking away should always be the first resort."

    "If you can't walk away, try to deescalate. Then use physical self-defense reasonably."

    —RazvanDubrinsky

    12. "If you get in trouble and need help, you can come to me. Kids tend to make bad situations worse by trying not to get caught. And I know too many people who got in drunk driving accidents because they were too afraid to call their parents for help."

    —xandrenia

    "In my opinion, it's good to teach your kids it's OK to be a bit rebellious and make mistakes in their teens. I always trusted my mom because of this. Of course, there were consequences for some of the things I did, but if I ever made a mistake and needed her, she was there."

    —throw_away29890

    13. "That the world isn't fair, so don't try to change what you can't — instead, worry about the things you can."

    NBC

    —NastroAzzurro

    14. "That masturbation is normal and natural — just please lock the door."

    —awkwardantics

    15. "'Tell me more!' Kid ramblings can be annoying at times, but if a kid is excited about something or feeling something deeply, listen. It can mean so much to them."

    —honeysugarbean

    16. "Be careful with your choice of friends."

    17. "That if anyone ever tells them, 'This will be our little secret,' especially if it involves physical contact, they need to get as far away as they can from that person, find a trusted adult, and contact me."

    "They know they will not be in trouble for telling me."

    —MidasArtflower

    "I tell my daughter, 'We never keep secrets, only surprises,' and that I promise to always believe her. She's only 4, but she needs to know this from day one!"

    —dest-iny89

    18. "That growing up and being rich isn’t a good life goal — growing up and being happy is."

    —SkroomJuice

    19. "You don't need to be everyone's best friend. It's important to be kind, but some people just aren't going to like you, and that's OK — it goes both ways."

    20. "That it's OK to ask for help, and no one will think less of them."

    —i_hate_traveling

    21. "I appreciate your input. You won't always be right and what you say won't always change my mind, but I still value your opinion."

    "Communicate with your kid. Most of the time, you will know better than they will, but at least listen to what they have to say."

    —Aussieboi393

    22. "It gets so much better after high school, I promise."

    23. "Never make a promise you're not sure you can keep."

    —light470

    24. "Do you wanna talk about anything?"

    —woodz20

    25. "When another kid is being mean to them — whether physically or verbally — don't tell your child that the other kid was being mean to them because they like them. Your child might grow up mistaking abuse for affection."

    —chickenstockandchilli

    26. "Look out for the smaller kids on the playground."

    27. "I’m proud of you."

    —a_random_person_me

    28. "You have the right to ask me to let go when you feel the time is right."

    "If you try to make it on your own but fall, call me anyway. I want to be there to catch you."

    —Nimezs

    And lastly...

    29. "I love you."

    What about you? What do you think every parent should tell their child? Tell us in the comments section, and you could be featured in a future BuzzFeed Community post!

    Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.