Few things are more satisfying than seeing your children have

Doug Larson, with his wit sharpened by wisdom, once observed: “Few things are more satisfying than seeing your children have teenagers of their own.” At first glance, his words seem playful, perhaps even humorous, yet they conceal a profound truth about the cycle of life, the trials of parenting, and the sweet vindication that comes when time reveals its lessons. For every parent who has wrestled with the storms of adolescence, there comes a day when they watch their own children weather those same storms with their sons and daughters. In that moment, satisfaction flows not only from memory, but from the knowledge that the circle of experience has turned.

The meaning of this teaching lies in the mystery of generations. To raise a child into adulthood is itself a triumph, but to see that child step into the same struggles of parenting is to witness the great cycle of life repeating itself. It is as if the parent’s once-hidden trials are finally understood, for the grown child who once resisted guidance now finds themselves giving it. In this, Larson reveals the subtle justice of time—that the lessons once unheeded are learned anew when the mantle of parenthood falls upon the next generation.

History offers us countless mirrors of this truth. Consider the story of King David and his son Solomon. David, who knew the sorrows and joys of raising children, watched Solomon rise to take the throne. Though Solomon was gifted with wisdom, he too faced the burdens of guiding his sons and daughters. In this way, David’s trials were echoed in Solomon’s, and Solomon’s in those who came after. The satisfaction Larson speaks of is not merely the amusement of seeing youth struggle, but the recognition that parenting is a universal path, one that spares no generation.

This teaching also carries a thread of humor, for it acknowledges the rebellion and challenge of the teenage years. Every parent remembers the defiance, the questioning, the restless energy that often defines adolescence. To endure it once is hardship, to watch another endure it is perspective. The parent who sees their own child now navigating those turbulent waters smiles, for they know that life itself has delivered a lesson far greater than any lecture could provide. It is satisfaction born of irony and of truth: “Now you understand what I once endured.”

Yet deeper still, Larson’s words remind us of the sacred patience required in parenting. For when the storms of youth rage, it is difficult to believe that gratitude will ever follow. But time has a way of softening rebellion and awakening empathy. The child who once shouted in anger becomes the parent who soothes the same cries from their own child. The satisfaction is not spiteful—it is redemptive. It proves that no struggle is wasted, for all hardship is woven into the great tapestry of learning that binds one generation to the next.

The lesson here is clear: endure the trials of raising children with patience, for the fruit of your labor is not only the growth of your own child, but the wisdom they will carry into their own parenting. When they face what you once faced, they will finally understand your love, your sacrifices, and even your frustrations. This recognition, though delayed, is one of the deepest satisfactions of life.

Therefore, let Doug Larson’s words stand as both comfort and counsel: when parenting feels heavy, remember that time will reveal your worth. One day, your child will walk in your shoes, and in that moment they will honor the path you walked before them. Take heart, endure, and trust the cycle. For few things are indeed more satisfying than seeing not only your children grown, but your grandchildren raised, and the eternal circle of family continue unbroken.