Thanks...

I always appreciate reading what you write about parenting. Somehow, I don't think you're too likely to turn into a helicopter parent. My helicopters aren't usually interested in their child as a person so much as they are interested in the status in the community a successful child brings them and they are also terrified to let their child fail at anything (they have no idea how to help their child turn failure into a learning experience.)

My quote of the year is "I will not give them what they deserve, but I will give them what they need.", which makes me think less about wants and power struggles and more about helping my kiddos turn into creative, thinking people.

Also makes me think about how in my 'well off urban community', while there are families who schedule every moment, when I ask the kids who played outside, they all say they did, and they played with rocks and sticks and dirt and had imaginary adventures in the park. Makes me happy :-)

Thanks for the blog links too... I've bookmarked a few blogs I've heard of from you.