One of the reasons some kids are so unprepared for the real world is that parents see the sweetness and innocence of a kid and think, I want to keep them like this forever. They felt like their own childhood was too short, and so they seek to extend childhood for their children for as long as possible.
It’s an understandable impulse, but it’s also a kind of contradiction. Instead of enjoying how special their kid is in that moment, the parent is thinking both about the future (their own) and about the past (their own) and trying to figure out how to protect their kids from them. Instead of being present, instead of seizing and drinking in right now, they are futilely trying to hold back a tide that no one—not even the most dedicated parent—can stop: time.
Today and always, we should remember that line in the famous William Blake poem: Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour If you want your kid to be forever young, enjoy this moment here in front of you. Experience it fully right now. Don’t give even a thought to what lies around the bend. Because you know what you’ll find? That right now just keeps on going . . .