One thing I realized pretty quickly as a parent was how little control I have over my kid. Eventually, my kids will have space whether I like it or not. The cha

One thing I realized pretty quickly as a parent was how little control I have over my kid. Eventually, my kids will have space whether I like it or not. The challenge is giving the tools and experience to make good decisions within boundaries. They need to be able to think for themselves. It's anything but laissez faire nor is it authoritarian. It's frustrating to me that a lot of people only seem to be able to think in terms of whichever of those extremes they dislike the most. It's also important to understand that it's impossible to inoculate your kids against all possible life-altering bad decisions. Part of being a parent is always having a view towards how to support your children going forward, whatever their changes circumstances, without denial or enablement. That might make the difference between one bad decision and a years long chain.