Maybe you want to be a writer, because you imagine being featured by Oprah and traveling the world to promote your book on a big publisher's dime. But these are ideals and have little to do with the reality of writing a book. Writing a book is very hard work, and it doesn't end there. Then comes editing, finding a publisher (probably not a big publishing house if you are unknown), and then tirelessly promoting your book using your own money. This is not to discourage you, but to make it clear that you need to be motivated by more than ideals. You need to be passionate about your dream, passionate enough to grit your teeth and push through the hard times, to keep going even when harsh realities hit. Find your passion and analyze whether or not you think that you can achieve it. Try writing your goals down. Which one is the most important to you? Which do you feel most excited or passionate about? Be specific. Saying, "I want to teach" is not very specific. You need to have a goal that is detailed, measurable, and allows you to properly plan. A better goal is, "By 2025 I want to be a professor in English and teach at a college." Think about what skills you might need to accomplish this goal. If you are terrified of public speaking, you will need to work on feeling at-ease speaking in front of large groups of people. Know that this is a skill you will need to work on to achieve your dream. One way to discover your passion and what you really want your life to look like is to visualize your ideal life. Close your eyes and picture your life, or write it on a piece of paper. Try asking yourself questions like: What are you doing for a career? Where are you living? Who is with you? What do you look like? What are you wearing? How do you feel? (Happy? Fulfilled?) You can even try writing out your ideal day, start to finish, starting with what time you wake up. This can give you even more clues about the life you want. Consider how your goal fits into a long-term vision for your life. This should help you to further refine your ambitions. For example, how do you want to live in the future? What kind of work do you want to do? How do you want to spend your time? Take all of these things into account. Let your vision shape your long-term goals. There are a lot of different kinds of colleges, for example. What kind is best suited for you? A big university? A community college? A private, liberal arts school? Weigh advantages and disadvantages. Say that you really don't like big environments; you're more of a small-town girl. Teaching at a private school in a college town would make you feel more comfortable and at home. Maybe you discovered that your ideal day starts with you waking up at 10am. What sort of lifestyle would allow you to do that? Does that fit with your plan to become a teacher? Could you potentially hold all your lectures in the afternoon? A long-term goal can seem impossibly far away or hard to reach, especially if it requires years of work. Many people give up simply because it takes too long or seems too difficult. You need a plan. For starters, break up the task into parts. This will let you focus on each part one at a time, giving you more manageable goals to work towards. To become a professor, you know that you'll have to do a bachelor's degree and then go to graduate school. What other stages will there be? How long will the whole process take? Find out. You will need a plan for each and every smaller stage in your long-term goal. Don't worry that you have to formulate these plans now, all at once. Some will come later. The important thing is that you are organized, know what has to be done, and see how your daily or weekly tasks fit into the larger picture. You see a long road ahead of you in becoming a professor. Break it into smaller parts and plan! Your map might look something like this: Get bachelor's degree in English (4 years); Apply to graduate programs (0-1 years); Do a Master's degree in English literature (2 years); Apply for Ph.D. programs (0-1 years); Do a Ph.D. (3-5 years); Apply widely for teaching jobs.
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One-sentence summary -- Discover your passion. Imagine your ideal life. Create a long-term vision. Break the vision into stages. Create plans for each stage.

If you use a small one, you'll only knit enough to make a cowl, which is a short infinity scarf but you won't be able to wrap it again and again. The needle size should be at least 4mm/6 US and above. Knit stitch works well for beginnersknit even rows, purl odd rows. You can vary the number of rows as you go. You'll need to gauge the final length from the stitch used by making a sample piece of about 15 stitches and measuring its gauge. This tells you how many stitches fit for each 5cm/2 inches, allowing you to calculate the final length desired. Using your calculation from the previous step, cast the number of stitches needed for the required length. Then connect the beginning and end of the row and start knitting in circles. Then cast off and the infinity scarf is complete.
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One-sentence summary -- Use a very long circular needle. Choose the stitch and pattern of your preference. Choose the scarf length. Cast on. Knit around and around. Continue knitting until it reaches the height you'd like.

It's completely normal and natural for kids of all ages to ask about babies. It helps to be prepared for the conversation, but even if you aren't, try to stay calm and don't jump to conclusions. Take a deep breath and talk to them like you would about any other topic. Your first reaction might be to laugh or redirect the conversation. However, if you dismiss them, they'll only become more curious about the topic. It's best to address the question when they ask. If you're a babysitter or nanny, the children who you watch might ask you about babies or sex at some point. Stay calm and use your best judgement to approach the situation. If it's a body question, answer it scientifically. If it's a question that you think you can't or shouldn't answer, let them know that they can ask their parents. For example, you could say something like, "Let's ask your mom when she gets home, maybe she'll know!" Chances are, they'll forget about it, and you can let their parents know that the child was curious about babies or sex. If they continue to push your limits and ask more personal questions, stay calm and treat it like you would if they were misbehaving in any other way. Remind them that they shouldn't use dirty words if they're swearing, and tell them that if they continue to do so, you'll have to call their parents. While kids are naturally inquisitive, there might be a reason that they're asking this particular question. For example, their teacher at school might be pregnant, or they might have seen a baby on television or in public. If you're pregnant, an older child might become curious about their new sibling. It's very common for children to start asking about babies and pregnancy when they know there's a baby on the way. Your child might be asking you about babies to confirm what they already know. If you've never talked about it before, try saying something like "That's a good question! Where do you think babies come from?" to see what they know about the topic. If you've discussed babies and pregnancy before, start by confirming what you've already discussed. Say something like "Well, we've talked about how babies are made when a man and a woman have sex, right?" When they confirm that they know that information, move on to answering their new question. If they say that they don't know, assure them that it's okay. Then, proceed with answering their question as best as you can.
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One-sentence summary --
Stay calm and relaxed when the topic comes up. Defer to the child's parents if someone else's child asks you about babies. Consider why your child might be curious about babies. Ask them where they think babies might come from.