From the time I enrolled my daughter in elementary school it seemed that the world was out to ruin her innocence. Her know-it-all six year old friends with older brothers and sisters shared the world's reality with her on a daily basis. And I, who was happy living in the land of talking stuffed animals, was in no hurry to debate the concept of Santa Claus. Unfortunately, that age of innocence doesn't last long enough. Whether we like it or not, reality plops itself on the sofa in our living room and sits there while our children struggle through adolescence. About the time that we're able to find some common ground, they're talking to us about claiming their independence and graduating from high school. If there's one thing I've discovered in parenting, it's that we can protect our children from many things when they're under our roof. Once they're out of sight however, their own their own. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean anything bad will happen; unless they're with one of those know-it-all friends they've known since the first grade.
