A FOCUS FOR PARENTS

"Parents: persons who spend half their time worrying how a child will turn out, and the rest of the time wondering when a child will turn in."
-- Ted Cook

One of our responsibilities as parents is to become independent of our children.

Andrew Schneider notes that many of us feel inadequate as parents because we assume we are totally responsible for them, but we are not.

Schneider says, "Their soul is in charge of their lives, and nothing that you do can greatly interfere nor greatly help. Who you are as a being and what you model is the important reality."

How specifically can we support our children? We want them to feel nurtured and valued. We want to support them in learning how to provide for themselves. And we want to help them build good relationships.

"The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them."
-- Frank A. Clark

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings."
-- Hodding Carter