Your Parents Raised You Right If You Have These 5 Things In Your Home As An Adult
Congratulations! These common items suggest your parents raised a real-life grown-up.
Natalia Olivera | Pexels There are things you will find in your home if your parents raised you right. "A noun is a person, place, or thing," are the song lyrics that sculpted many a child's understanding of how we label the things in our world by giving them names (nouns) and often adding an extra layer of symbolism to an object. Research from the American Psychological Association examined the early development of children's understanding and use of symbols as a source of information, as a vital part of cognitive development.
A wedding ring is not just a ring, it is a symbol of love and devotion (or ownership). A hat is not always just a hat, it can be a symbol for ideals far beyond the need to cover a head. We attach greater meaning when it is difficult to convey the complexity of an idea. We struggle to connect the dots of how we were parented through reinforcement, day-to-day support, and the details of our upbringing that make up who we are now. We find it easier to point at a thing and say, "This item in my home says my parents were good and raised me well," though we may fail to see the relevant details that made it so.
Your parents raised you right if you have these five things in your home as an adult:
1. Cleaning supplies
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A vacuum, broom, and dustpan, and a well-stocked First Aid Kit, observes relationship counselor Larry Michel. Dust and debris that accumulates on floors and in carpets has an invisible yet potent impact on our vitality, and any person who does not put health first, including a readiness to provide first aid if there is an accident, is not ready to share their space with others.
2. A family heirloom
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Life coach Lisa Petsinis says if your parent did a good job raising you, you’ll have a family heirloom in your home. An heirloom reflects traditions passed down through generations, and it’s a tangible connection to your past.
Whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a dish set from the old country, a handwritten recipe book, a piece of hand-carved furniture, or a patchwork quilt, it celebrates your family and preserves its legacy. These items carry stories, sentimental value, and often pay tribute to their efforts. They teach respect for history, artistry, and the people who came before you.
Holding onto these precious gifts is a big responsibility, too, as well as a quiet act of love. Having these in your home shows that you value tradition, connection, and meaning, and that your parents took the time to nurture a sense of belonging and pride in where you come from.
3. Accommodations for guests
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Having accommodations for guests if they can’t go home is a good sign your parents raised you to be considerate of the needs of others and to plan for the unexpected, states Eife coach Ellen Kamaras. Keeping extra clothes and slippers on hand for if the weather is bad and guests are around, shows you were taught to care for others.
4. Mementos
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Dr. Gloria Brame is well aware that family photos and mementos are always a good sign that an adult had a good childhood and values their memories.
Whether it's your grandma's treasured teapot, your parents' wedding photos, or pictures of family trips or other good times, those little pieces of family history make you feel warm feelings for them when you see them in your house. The preservation of family history shows your family treated you well, and you treasure bringing their legacy into your home.
5. Love
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What is a home without love in it? asks senior editor Aria Gmitter. To say someone was a good parent is to judge their parenting style, and what we have learned in the world is that every child is unique and not all parents are the same. The idea of what makes good parenting 'good' is subjective, but the result of any form of parenting ought to be how much love you have in your home.
You can have a house full of things and all the money in the world, but what do you have if you don't have love? We often forget that emotions and ideas are nouns as well. We hear or read the word "thing" and immediately rush into a list of items we can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. Yet, the most important, and most dangerous, nouns are in the realm of ideas like love and hate.
I will never forget my sixth-grade English class when the teacher asked, "What is a noun?" and all the students in the class sang out, "A noun is a person, place, or thing". The teacher said, "Yes, that is true, but we need to add one more item to the list. A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea." Whoa! The new item on the list made things are lot grander.
Ideas are nouns, too! Love, an emotion, an idea, a noun. And all those "isms" existing in our collective mind. The day in my sixth grade was memorable in the new knowledge of nouns as we settled in to begin reading Animal Farm by George Orwell, a book filled with the ideology of "isms" and symbolized things.
Will Curtis is a creator, editor, and activist who has spent the last decade working remotely.
