Lincoln had a rough childhood. It has been said that one of the reasons Lincoln was so sympathetic to the plight of American slaves was that his own father had not treated him as much better than one. Lincoln was rented out as a laborer. He was whipped. He never had much in the way of a bed or a room of his own.

So, as we’ve said, when it came to his own children, he was much softer and kinder. He preferred, he said, to bind them to him by a cord of love rather than force. The history books abound with his affection for his kids and his tolerance for their antics. We’ve talked about many of them here before, such as ​pranking their tutors​, ​wrecking Lincoln’s law office for their personal amusement​, ​requesting military flags and a Navy sword​ (their father got them both).

​In his epic biography of Lincoln​, David Herbert Donald writes,

When Willie and Tad were very small, he would haul them around in a little wagon, pulling it up and down the street in front of his house, often reading from a book that he held in his hand….When the boys were a little older, they used to walk with him downtown, each holding onto a gigantic hand or perhaps his coattail. Inevitably one would complain that he was tired, and he would be hoisted on Lincoln’s shoulders for a ride home. Once Frances Wallace, Lincoln’s sister-in-law, saw him carrying Tad in this fashion and scolded: “Why, Mr. Lincoln, put down that great big boy. He’s big enough to walk.” But Lincoln replied: “Oh, don’t you think his lil’ feet get too tired?

You only get to take care of them for so long. They’re only small enough to carry for a short time. They grow out of the wagon and the carseat and indeed, carpooling altogether. Love it while you can. Indulge it while you can. Soon enough, they’re off on their own, with only memories to carry them forward—why make those memories rough when you can make them warm and kind instead?