Expressing your pride in adult children

My three are as different as chalk and cheese and chips. One is a high achiever, can't help it, just comes naturally; I praise him for his ascent up the professional ladder but also for what a brilliant dad he is. Another I praise for overcoming losing everything in a scam and pressing on despite huge challenges, for being a lovely single parent and for supporting a homeless friend. The third I praise for lighting up everyone's life wherever she goes with her personality and for advising me on pivotal decisions I've made in where I live. And I tell them all how much I feel loved by them. All this is done when they're on their own. Hope the detail helps! 😁

Doodle please do praise the achiever. I saw the other side of this as I was academically much brighter than my brother. My parents were so concerned about him feeling inferior because of this that everything he did was praised while nothing I achieved was commented on. Consequently I grew up feeling that nothing I did was good enough.

Mollygo precisely what I was about to say.

I acknowledge what my AC have done -tell them I’m proud of them, congratulate them, but not in front of each other.
They have faced very different challenges, and achieved different things, so we acknowledge or praise their own particular milestones separately.
It doesn’t stop them praising or empathising with each other.

Phew! Thanks Cornergran. I was worried that nobody would understand.

Totally understand doodle. I’ll be interested to read thoughts as so far I can’t find my own solution. I do try to express my pride in them as people in birthday cards, other than that I struggle.