What made the Roosevelts special was their father, Theodore Roosevelt Sr. And what made Theodore Roosevelt Sr such a great father? It was, as friends noticed and biographers noted, that “he was one of those rare grown men who seem never to forget that they were once children themselves.” 

This isn’t important just because it makes a parent fun, although that is key. It matters because, as we’ve said, it’s hard to be a kid. If we can actually remember what it’s like to be where they are now, we can have real empathy and understanding for how they are feeling from moment to moment. We can then parent accordingly. We can correct and teach and be patient accordingly.

And yes, we can also entertain and excite and inspire accordingly. 

You were a child once. You were young and impressionable and naive and scared and dumb. Sometimes all at once. Don’t forget that. Don’t lose touch with that. It’s the most important tool you have as a parent to help build your kids up.