I’m viewing this from the lens of a person raising a dog for the first time: there are ideals, there are wishes, there are acceptable outcomes and tradeoffs, th

I’m viewing this from the lens of a person raising a dog for the first time: there are ideals, there are wishes, there are acceptable outcomes and tradeoffs, there are goals, and there are a lot of material realities. A person (in the sense of a living, conscious being) is going to reach all of those, and more. The best thing that’s happened for me with my pup has been to stop tracking what’s expected and start focusing only on who I know she is and can be. She continually exceeds those expectations. I know it’s not the same as raising a human child, but I also know I would have benefitted from being raised with that disposition from my parents. Relax, or try to. Your kid is great. The more she knows you have some trust in that, the more she’ll thrive and grow into herself. And unlike a pup, she’ll be increasingly capable of telling you how she can grow and thrive on top of that.