give the kids some space

As I write this, I'm attempting to let baby Harper cry it out for her late nap.  This one is tough.  The screams are getting louder.  5 more minutes. Hey, the kid needs to figure it out at some point. But I digress.  I watch parents with their children.  I bite my tongue.  Here's what I want to say to some of them: Stop hovering over your child.  Stop coddling your child.  Give your kid some space.  To create.  To imagine. To hang out with friends.

If you make them hold on to the stroller handle for too long, they might never learn to let go.  And letting go is what you eventually want right?  Kids too "obsessed" with their parents tend to find it hard to let go.  Let them have their own identity. Let them have their own relationships. You can still tell them how special they are to you.  But that doesn't prepare them for life. It just makes them long for you when they face an obstacle.  You see this with only children all the time.  Their parents talk to them like they're the only kid in the world.  They need to be paid attention to all the time.  It's time to cut the cord so to speak.  Or our kids will be hanging on to us for dear life for too long.
DZ