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Let go

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Letting go is one of the most difficult things a parent can do. It's also one of the most loving things we can do.

Our children need us in different ways as they grow. Babies need us for just about everything except looking cute, for which of course they have a natural talent! Toddlers need us to kiss scraped knees better, encourage them to discover the world around them, and teach them why it's wrong to hit their big brother or sister. Teenagers they need us to be their rock as they make their tumultuous way through adolescence. (Just don't ask them to admit they need you!)

We also need our kids. We get wrapped up in their activities, cheering with excitement as they score a goal and bursting with pride in their accomplishments. They give us a a way to relive - a little - our own childhood, or perhaps create for them the childhood we always wanted.

Letting go is hard. It means letting our kids try soccer when we want so much for them to play football. Sometimes, it means letting them make bad decisions and suffer the consequences. But it also means giving our children the freedom to make their own decisions, and see them learn to choose wisely. It means letting them be themselves, and watching their individual personalities emerge as they grow.

Throughout all the challenging, frustrating, wonderful years, learning when and how to let go is important in order for our children to grow into their own potential. Ultimately, letting go means giving our children the gift of adulthood. And as adults, they will still come to us for advice, they will still come to us to share their joys and their sorrows, and we will always play an important role in their lives.

Learn more about this author, Thomas Wheeler.
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