Raising Kids

Okay, who lost the manual? How many times have you heard, "well raising kids with no manual" is not easy to do! Even though there are countless books on the subject, when you experience it for yourself it is overwhelming to many. And you are right, there is no manual for this sometimes thankless job we all do.
I feel this very thing is the reason the world is in such a mess. Way to many parents"hold back their kids"from learning. The mindset is that somehow the parent knows best and the child should shut up and listen. But really, it's that they are afraid of their kids outdoing them, but to me that is exactly what I want. Then of coarse there are those who overdo it, go crazy with trying to give their kids an advantage. The latest trend is holding their child back a year so they are more mature then their fellow classmates. Then there are the ones that think everyone needs to win as if their fragile egos will forever be harmed by a loss at something or having missed a trophy in some meaningless activity.
I think everyone is missing the point. Kids know what to do, what they like to do, and what they want to learn. It's our jobs as parents to nourish this, even if you know they are wrong. My number one rule is,"don't lie to your kids". If the truth is to hard for them then tell them that. Don't lie to them and think somehow you have done them a favour. It is this that confuses their brains, clouds their judgment, because of the devoted love they have for you. To please you a child will do a lot of things that are not good for them. By telling them "how it is" lets them untangle the problem and who knows, even come up with world changing solutions.
Do I practice what I preach? You bet, and when I didn't know the answer I told my kids that, I was not embarrassed or felt the need to feed them some rubbish to make me feel superior to them. To see the lightbulb go off in their eyes was what turned my crank. Go ahead,"and let go".