The smartest advice on raising children is to enjoy them while they are still on your side. The right temperature in a home is maintained by warm hearts, not by hot heads. Life's golden age is when the kids are too old to need baby-sitters and too young to borrow the family car. Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble. A child outgrows your lap, but never outgrows your heart.
Adolescence is the age when children try to bring up their parents.
Those who've never had any. Cleaning your house while your kids are at home is like trying to shovel the driveway during a snowstorm. Oh, to be only half as wonderful as my child thought I was when he was small, and half as stupid as my teenager now thinks I am. Money isn't everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch. Adolescence is the age at which children stop asking questions because they know all the answers.