Rules of Life, The, 4th Edition

RULE 77

Give your kids a break

We’ll talk in a bit about what good parenting is – what your role as a parent is. First, let’s look at this Rule – give your kids a break means to support and encourage your children. In fact this should be to support and encourage all children, not just your own. Children get a pretty poor deal of it. They get it in the neck from all directions and the word that figures most in their lives is ‘no’. No, you can’t do this. No, you’re not old enough for this. No, you can’t have that. No, you’re not going there. No, you can’t see that film.

Cast your mind back and see if it wasn’t the same for you.

‘No’ is terribly easy for us to say. It’s the word that trips so readily off the tongue. But to give support and encouragement ...