On Raising Children

"A pear tree grows up to be a pear tree.
An apple tree grows up to be an apple tree.
There's not much you can do about it, so relax."

This is one of my favorites. Early on, I realized that each child has a very strong essence, and if you try to change it, you'll fail. This is actually good news, because it means you have to really work at it to screw up your kids.

The best you can do is give them enough water and sunshine, and some good fertilizer, and keep them out of harm's way. But do not try to force or stunt their growth and try to make them conform to your idea of what a child should be. Neither should you be nervous that you don't know what to do to raise a good kid. Watch. Learn. Listen. Speak the truth. Hear the truth. You'll know what to do. (There I go again - that's a new ism.)