I guess the first time I can remember I consciously tried to validate a statement was when I was six years old. When I was six years old, my family (my brother Sem, my dad, my mom and I) were visiting Billund’s LEGO land park and were spending the week in a nearby holiday park. My parents had given me a bracelet with the address details of our holiday home and had explained that in the unlikely scenario that I would get lost in the park, I would be able to show it to other people who could help me find our home away from home back.
That would be my first deliberate act of validation. Sure, my parent’s plan was great in theory, but was it in practice? That must have been my line of thinking.
So at the first possible presented opportunity, I walked to a nearby home and proudly presented my bracelet to the local Danish lady who looked confused at first, but then brought me to my parents. A win-win. I had my validation. My parents were right.
It was enough to teach our kids the phone song.
