Last night, Craig and I met Belle's future nursery school teachers at a meeting welcoming families to the school. The head of the early education program offered opening remarks, which she closed with one of the most meaningful bits of parenting advice I've heard yet. She said that it is human nature to compare your child to other children: is my child demonstrating similar skills to her classmates? But the most important question you should ask regarding your child is: is my child happy? The director of Belle's nursery school said that the greatest gift you can give your child is a carefree childhood.
This philosophy makes me think Belle is at the right nursery school. There will be plenty of time for competition and high-stakes assessments and rankings among peers. But, while Belle can, she should have fun and be happy.
So, thank you, Mom/Hilary/Helene and Dad/Elcon/Richard, for the happy childhoods Seren and Craig enjoyed. I hope we can give Belle a similarly carefree youth.
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