Why do they do these things to children, Pan? Do they all hate children so much, that they want to tear them apart like this? Why do they do it?

Partly because teenagers are still half children, and many children are just intrinsically cruel.

You've got to learn to let go and let your children fall, and fail. If you try to protect them from hurt, and always rush to their side with Band-Aids, they won't learn about life, and what is true, what works, what helps, and what are real consequences of certain kinds of behavior. When they do get hurt, which they will, they won't know how to take care of their grown selves. They won't even know where the aspirin is kept.

no matter how hard we try to be mature, we will always be a kid when we all get hurt and cry

"Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'"

Rose chuckled.

"But usually, they're just in some kind of pain. They need to work it out."

The sorts of kids who write songs or poetry or paint pictures are the sorts of kids who feel too much at times. The sorts of kids whose feelings can overpower them.

Children, especially highly sensitive children, can be wounded in multiple ways: by bad things happening, yes, but also by good things not happening, such as their emotional needs for attunement not being met,

Now you know how badly someone wanted you, Charley. Children forget that sometimes. They think of themselves as a burden instead of a wish granted.

Those things that hurt, instruct.

Those things that hurt, instruct.

– I understand the world can be cruel place and there are people out there counting on naive kids like you to take advantage of. Don't just think because it's video games people can't get hurt.

Despite your best efforts, people are going to be hurt when it's time for them to be hurt.

I think part of being a parent is trying to kill your kids.

But since the great foundation of fear in children is pain, the way to harden and fortify children against fear and danger is to accustom them to suffer pain.