Things I Know About Raising Children

Things I Know About Raising Children

(distilled into a few short lines because all we need is another expert who goes on & on, like every child out there isn't completely & utterly unique & frustrating all at the same time.)

1. Children want to know how things work, so they can play, too. (this actually goes for adults, too, but that's in another part of the book.)

2. Children see pretty clearly what we often forget. That the world is AMAZING!

3. It takes a lot of work to convince a child that the world isn't amazing. So, here's a question for you: why on earth would you want to work at something like that? Oh, you mean you did it accidentally? Well, stop it. Go find other work you enjoy more. (that's better for you anyway...)

4. When they tell you what they want to do, listen to them. If it looks to you like it won't kill them, tell them to go do it. Because it might be the exact thing that lights them up. Even if it's not, it'll usually be pretty entertaining.

5. Let it slip now & then that you don't know everything. This will work in your favor when they get to be teenagers. & they say you don't know everything, you know. You can just smile & say THAT'S what I've been trying to tell you & they'll stop for a moment & then all of a sudden, they'll start giggling like they're 8 again & in that moment you'll know they're going to turn out fine (& you can relax, because that's all you were ever worried about in the first place. Right?)

- storypeople -

Shared with Still Saturday, The Rosegarden in Malevik