Lenore Skenazy

He came out with only cookies.

And I was like, I agree with that.

I think that makes a great dinner.

But she was a little disappointed, but also so proud because he'd gone in and he came out and he said, I think I got the exact change.

Didn't I?

And then they're looking over the change.

And

You, the parent, it's like the Grinch, your heart grows three sizes when you see your kid do something on their own.

And that's the only solution.

You almost have to let your kid go a little before you're totally ready because you will be ready when they come home and they will come home.

And if they screwed up, that's okay too, because then you realize like, it's okay, he got a little lost or he only bought the cookies and that's okay too.

And you just have to realize that this level of supervision and hypervigilance is new and unnecessary.

And it's not only a burden to a kid, it's a burden to you because it has made your job as a parent watching every single second.

You can't send them to get the bananas.

That's too much to ask of any parent.

birth rates are going down.

And I think maybe one unspoken reason, maybe even subconscious reason, is that it's becoming such a drag.

You have zero time.

Parents today are spending way more time with their kids than our parents spent with us because they think they have to be there to knit every synapse and to watch every play date and to eat every piece of pizza at every party.

The family member is a little harder, but I would say find a friend.