Don’t expect that your child is going to become all of the person that you would like them to be as an adult, until she is an adult. Be prepared to be patient and consistent.

Imagine that you are looking at your child when he or she is 5 years old, 15 years old or 25 years old. What are some of the characteristics that you hope to see in them? What kind of teenager do you want them to be? What kind of adult do you want them to be? What kind of a parent do you want them to be when it is their turn to raise a child?

When we become parents, we must look further out than the immediate needs of our children. We need to consider the kinds of skills they will need at all the stages of their lives and plan our parenting strategies to support their movement towards those capacities.