Image: Flickr/Kevin Case

“If you want a baby, have a new one. Don’t baby the old one.” (Jessamyn West)

One of the ironies in life is that, often, when we operate out of doubt and fear, we drive ourselves to the very outcomes we are seeking to avoid. A 30 year old baby isn’t cute by anyone’s standards, and when we baby our kids, we are well on our way to creating that very outcome. When we hold our children back from where they need to be, we are not doing them any favors. In fact, it is almost always for selfish reasons. Give your child (especially your youngest) things for which he can be fully responsible and then respect him enough to give him room to do them.