The real questions for parents should be: "Are you engaged? Are you paying attention?" If so, plan to make lots of mistakes and bad decisions. Imperfect parenting moments turn into gifts as our children watch us try to figure out what went wrong and how we can do better next time. The mandate is not to be perfect and raise happy children.... See more

embarrassment is often the moment where authenticity breaks through. Our authentic selves are messy and childlike and afraid and eager and all the emotions that seem a little bit too much for the modern world.

On top of an already rough day, my child was placed in a deeply vulnerable situation and became embarrassed in front of her classmates.