Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?” —MARCUS AURELIUS There’s a wonderful little expression: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
Every family, every person, has a different main thing, of course. But if we could generalize, the main thing for us parents is to raise well-adjusted, self-reliant, decent, happy kids. The main thing is not college. The main thing is not making partner at our law firm. The main thing is not to have a clean house. The main thing is not to win some competition with other parents. The main thing is not grades, it is not following in your footsteps, it is not being captain of the football team or an expert cello player.
The main thing is for them to be healthy, to be prepared for life, to have good values, to have a good sense of who they are and what they want to spend their life doing. The main, main, main, main thing is to love them and for them to feel loved.