Two Child Raising Questions

My Retirement Party    May 2008

I had no idea how to raise children.

I had no idea how to teach school.

The two enormous responsibilities I had as a woman came without a playbook: 

as a mother and as a teacher.

My husband and I have 3 adult daughters who are smarter, funnier, cooler, and wiser than we ever were at their age .

They are relentless and kind and someone you want on a sinking ship or in a fight or when your heart is broken.

My husband and I may not be wiser after all of these years, but we have been there, done that, done it wrong, laughed about it, and done it again. 

In fact- though we feel a little pistol whipped at times-
we’re not bad on a sinking ship or in a fight either.

For some reason today, I thought of two memorable child rearing questions my parents asked me as a young girl-

“Have you been sitting on the hoods of cars?”

and

”Did you learn anything?”


Yes.

And

Yes.



I did have a playbook.