When my daughter was about 7 years old I told her something along the lines, “You don’t need to grow up too fast, okay?”
After she turned 10 I found out she wasn’t enjoying her birthdays. She had it in her mind that as she grew older I might start loving her less, either because she was no longer 7 or because she was growing up.
Oh my dear girl!
Of course I corrected this as best as I could. And now I try to be more precise in my language. “I love you now and I’ll love you tomorrow and I love being part of the process as you grow. I’m very happy and proud that you’re my kid.”
johnny88keys 