Growing up together

Owner

Brian Rumao

February 5, 2026

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.

Peggy O’Mara

My almost four-year-old son just started his first full-day school, and with it, some expected potty training struggles. Today upon picking him up, I helped him get cleaned and changed as the teacher told me about his three accidents. I could tell by her voice that she was frustrated (understandably) and was just doing her best.

In that moment what came up for me was a concept called the Ideal Parent Figure protocol, which I learned from a friend a few years ago. In short, the parent imagines scenes from their own childhood, and how their parents would have ideally responded to their emotional needs. With that comes the ability to rewire our own brains, before it’s too late. And then, the gift of parenting our own kids with the knowledge, attunement, and emotional capacity to respond with love and compassion.

So this afternoon, while holding my son, I hugged him tight. I reminded him in the car ride home about our family mantra: Let’s try again. And he smiled, full of hope, and said “Yeah I’m going to try again next time.” Later, at dinner, I told him no matter what, I’ll always love him. I could feel his body softening. I know he’s learning, and I am too. We get to grow up, together.