Mentoring – helping parents understand — I’m the person who has to be that constant reminder that that’s what 3 year olds do. That’s what they do. Do you see what he’s doing? Whatever it is.

Mentors keep reminding parents of the basics — A wonderful thing that I do with parents during the orientation is I say there are things that kids are going to get this year and they always kind of lean forward. What is she going to say? And the first thing I put down is lice.

Reinventing the extended family — When you have a brand new baby it’s really, really sweet to sit and talk to somebody who’s been through this.

Keeping wonder alive — Kids need to figure it out by themselves.

Unconditional acceptance — Easiest one to say and the hardest one to do – unconditional acceptance. We need unconditional acceptors in our life, people who absolutely love us no matter what.

Childhood is a whisper in time — Childhood is just a whisper in time. All the sudden they’re going to be 5 and they’re going to be 10 and you’re going to wonder how that happened. It is a whisper, just a whisper, and it will be gone.