Jacqueline Elliott argues that self-love is foundational to healthy relationships and effective parenting. Without it, you risk repeating negative patterns with partners and children. She credits valuing herself with earning respect from others and becoming the mother and spouse she wanted to be.
Chapters
You have to value yourself because not everybody's the same. You can't face a relationship, new relationship off of a past relationship. I would hate for Andy to treat me the way he used to treat his ex girlfriends, for example, like we would never make it, we would never. But he had to have a certain level of confidence that I did too. In people that are confident, you know, of themselves can show each other themselves love first and love somebody else and they'll get respected also. You're not going to attract the right girl, you're not going to attract the right people around you or, you know, anybody. Confidence that love yourself first. I did not become the mom I am right now by serving my kids and being a good wife. I became the mom I am now by loving myself so that they knew what's going on in a woman and a mom and a spouse and everything. I had to show myself some self love because if I don't show myself that much, they wouldn't respect me.