I want my child to know that we will love them no matter what.

Don't limit yourself to one thing. Do many things and do them well.

I will raise you to the best of my ability and anything else is unacceptable. Your shortcomings are my fault. I will raise you to be kind and assertive. I will raise you to be artistic and logical. I will raise you to be everything that I never got the chance to be.

I hope to experience new things through you that I never got to experience myself.

If I don't spend enough time with you, I'm sorry. I guess I missed the chance, because we won't realize this until it is too late.

Some of the things I say may contradict others, but I've never done this before so bear with me.

I know I won't always be fair. I don't plan on being fair. I do plan to make you a good person that people like and trust. I do plan to help you live a life that challenges you to learn.

I want to teach you that money isn't everything, but it sure helps you get over some of the hurdles in life.

I don't want you to get bogged down in life's details and not have the chance to try new things.

I'm very nervous about raising you.

When you are in high school I want you to go to the parties and socialize, but I don't want you to drink alcohol. I don't want you there until you are old enough to drive, so you can be the responsible one driving the others home.

If you do get MIP or something, I will not leave you in jail overnight the first or second time. You will wish you had stayed in jail for the whole ride home and probably for the next month or two when. The third time, I will figure you must like it there so I will just leave you there.

You will not have a new car in high school or college. You will drive whatever fits your budget or whatever I have leftover in my driveway.

I will pay for your insurance in high school and college and maybe help you with rent. This will be based on your performance in college and if I approve of what you are doing. I can do this becauase it is my money not yours.



This is a work in progress. I hope to add all the things that I remember telling myself that I would and would not do like my parents did. I'll never remember them all and some of them have changed over the years and will change after this. So many of these things are what my dad did for/to me. I think I turned out pretty well so they must work. Remember that above all else we love you.