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I have a collection of some lovely children. They are bright, curious, rambunctious, vibrant and in general delightful. That in no way negates my desire to climb into bed at 8:30 each night and sort of collapse from riding the roller coaster of many small children all day.

Lately, I have somehow lost my full confidence as a parent. I think I’ve been inundated with parenting books, magazines, therapists, guidance counselors and teachers. And while I recognize the value in professional wisdom and experience, I think, at times, it undermines our confidence in ourselves. I seem to need to stop and remind myself that I am a competent parent. I am a parent who loves my kids. But, and perhaps most importantly, I am a parent who knows my kids. There are times when a teacher nails it on the head. I will be forever grateful to the person who noticed that my son’s eyes didn’t converge correctly when he read. Yet for every one of the thoughtful and insightful people I have met in my journey as parent, I have also met people who are eager to diagnose, to label and to put in a box. My kids, and I suspect yours’ as well, do not fit in boxes.

So I say this: love you kids. Know when you need to reach out to ask for help. Know when to listen. Choose your support staff well. But have faith in yourself, in your parenting skills and most of all in your child.

Have you given over your role as parent to the world of professionals?