Very insightful and a helpful reminder to all parents that we're not perfect! The key thing is to keep on trying.

Regarding the rift between our expectations and what our child wants, I remember an incident with my younger daughter. We were in a bookstore and she was 8. She picked up a 3-inch-thick book that was too advanced for her age, but she flipped through and decided she wanted to buy it. I immediately said no, no, it's too hard for you - but she insisted.

After a lot of discussion, I gave in. I figured the worst that could happen would be that she never reads it; maybe she would read it as a teenager.

To my great surprise, she battled her way through the book! She wanted to read THAT book, I think maybe precisely because it was too hard. I was very proud of her tenacity.

It's so important to keep our expectations in check and listen to our kids. More often than not, we'll be amazed - and proud.