One of the most important tasks for a parent, particularly with their first child, is to give up the hopes, dreams, preconceptions they had about who that child is going to be. Lot of parents want their child to be good at what they weren’t good at or to continue work that they started. These kind of hopes and dreams you put upon the child. Well, those can be very destructive. You want to love the child you have. That’s the child who needs your love. Not the child you wish you had. And the magic is when you start loving the child you actually have, that child will flourish and surprise you with the beauty, grandeur, magnificence that he or she can grow into. But if you burden that child with the feeling that I’m not who you want me to be, that stunts growth. That kills the spirit of a child. And I see it all too often. Let go of those wishes, hopes, dreams and instead dream of this child turning into who knows what, but with your love. It will be wonderful.