What kind of adult do you want to raise?

[brigid]

In the wake of the Tiger Mother bruhaha (timely? me? NEVER) some of the most interesting responses to parenting discussions have been less about how to raise/discipline your child and more about what you want your child to be. I’m not talking about “I want my child to be a CEO” or “I want my child to be wealthy” or “I want my child to be a master violinist.” It’s less tangible things like “I want my child to be empathic,” “I want my child to be kind,” “I want my child to not give up.” And that’s got me thinking.

In twenty years, when I meet the adult I’ve raised, what do I want to see? What do I want my adult child to be? What do I want to instill in my child?

I hope that when he’s an adult, Nikola will:

• be kind and empathic, and care about other people
• be a decent conversationalist, comfortable around other people
• have good manners
• be self sufficient: able to do his own laundry, cook, get to work on time, etc
• know how to solve problems, both abstract and concrete
• think for himself and question things
• have a love of learning and a curiosity about the world

What about you? When you meet your adult child, what qualities do you want to see? What do you hope to instill in your child?

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