Tonight, I read an article about a mother who stopped telling her daughter to "hurry up", which brought to mind some of my own experiences as a parent. I don't claim to have all the answers for child-rearing — certainly not for raising someone else's child — but if there is one piece of parenting advice that I can pass along, especially to new parents, it is this:
When you're talking with someone, whoever it is, whether a casual acquaintance, a friend, a BFF, a parent, or your god, if your child speaks to you, nothing else matters. Nothing. Don't drown the child's voice by telling them to be quiet because you're speaking with another adult. That person will (or should) understand when you say "just a moment" while you attend to the small being who looks to you for everything. Show your pride and joy that (s)he truly takes top priority in your life, even if it means listening to some whimsical story, putting your other conversation on hold for a few minutes, or even killing it. That's better than killing your child's dreams. ...
You may not realize it at the time, but you'll be rewarded later. Try it and you'll see.
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