I can relate to the thought almost word for word. The difference is that my father was no longer around when I started school. My mother, on the other hand, must have been at school for a meeting what felt like a hundred times.
However, I don't think that parental care necessarily has anything to do with a lack of trust. Perhaps it is simply that we observe our children very closely. We know ourselves and recognize certain traits, strengths, weaknesses, or behaviors in them. And when our children have inherited some of those genes from us, we may sometimes think we know what they might be facing.
That's why, to me, trust and concern don't necessarily contradict each other. You can trust your child and still worry about them. Perhaps that's simply part of being a parent.
Thank you so much for this insightful comment. You expressed something so fundamental to parenting that I really needed to hear.
What you said about trust and concern not contradicting each other resonates deeply with me. It’s so true - as parents, we watch our children so closely and see parts of ourselves mirrored in them, both the strengths and the vulnerabilities. Loving them means caring deeply about how they navigate those challenges, and that naturally brings worry, no matter how much trust we have in them.
I really appreciate you sharing your perspective and experience. It’s comforting to know that this mix of pride, concern, and constant reflection is just part of the shared journey of being a parent.