Memos from your child

Borrowed from a friend's FB link/notes, with thanks.

1. Don’t spoil me.
I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for.

2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with me.
I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.

3. Don’t let me form bad habits.
I have to rely on you to detect them at the early stages.

4. Don’t make me feel smaller than I am.
It only makes me feel stupidly “big”.

5. Don’t correct me in front of people, if you can help it.
It will take much more notice, if you talk more quietly with me in private.

6. Don’t make me feel that my mistakes are sins.
It upsets my sense of values.

7. Don’t protect me from my consequences.
I need to learn the painful way sometimes.

8. Don’t be too upset if I say “I hate you”.
It isn’t you I hate but your power to thwart me.

9. Don’t take too much notice of my small ailments.
Sometimes they get me the attention I need.

10. Don’t nag.
If you do, I shall protect myself by appearing deaf.

11. Don’t forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like.
This is why I’m not always very accurate.

12. Don’t tax my honesty too much.
I am easily frightened into telling lies.

13. Don’t make rash promises.
Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.

14. Don’t be inconsistent.
That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.

15. Don’t take my fear as silly.
They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.

16. Don’t put me off when I ask questions.
If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek information elsewhere.

17. Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible.
It gives me too great a shock when I discover you are neither.

18. Don’t ever think it’s beneath your dignity to apologize to me.
An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm towards you.

19. Don’t forget how quickly I am growing up.
It must be very difficult to keep pace with me, but please do try.

20. Don’t forget I am experimenting.
I couldn’t get on without it so please put up with me.

21. Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without lots of understanding love, but I don’t need to tell you, do I?