“A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.”

(Dorothy Canfield Fisher)

This concept is particularly difficult to grasp for many mothers out there. We have been told that our job is to protect our children from the menacing world of predators and PG13 movies. While protection is certainly a part of parenting, it should by no means be the goal of parenting. Our children come into this world fragile beings, to be sure. They are soft, naked, and totally dependent upon you. But they grow. They soon become capable of learning at an extraordinary rate. Be sure that you are teaching them what you really want them to learn. If you want to teach them that they are unable to make choices and decisions, then by all means, continue to shelter them. However, if you want to teach them to become strong, independent adults who don’t “need” you, but “want” you in their lives, begin stretching and molding them now. Chances are, your kids will rise to the challenge.