Sent this to Washington Post's On Parenting

They're looking for short snippets on parenthood.

Knowing when to harness and when to release. Understanding the push and pull of care-taking, the need to pry one's fingers off while keeping a sharp eye on what you're doing. Making sure you know that I do what I do from a place of love, not a nefarious pool of would-be control. The words that cannot properly express this. The emotions that show themselves when I cannot explain them. You, in the chair, wondering.