Am coming to this discussion a bit late, but having raised two kids, now adults, the advice I would give myself 20 years ago would be this: 1. Your children ar

Am coming to this discussion a bit late, but having raised two kids, now adults, the advice I would give myself 20 years ago would be this: 1. Your children are not mini-me's. They are independent little munchkins that transition through confused, pained and painful teens into eventual adulthood. Don't expect them to behave or respond like you. 2. Be present. This isn't about quantity of time spent or kinds of activities shared. It's about quality = anytime your kid knows you care and enjoy being with them. 3. Focus on the journey not the outcomes. Read anything you can about "stoic parenting". 4. Don't be a hypocrite. Every lesson you give your kid must be applicable to you. If not, then shut up. There's no faster way to parenting failure than hypocrisy. I'm not sure if this advice would have changed things too much. But it would have made all our journeys easier.