Situation: Parents may find that the dreams for their children are much different than in early years.

Parent Talk Tip: Diane Moore says that when she first began her family she “wanted to protect them from every microbe of pain.” Because the family was affluent, her children were protected and isolated from a lot during the early years.

But as she and her husband found they had a different calling, their lifestyle changed and money became far less important. At that point, Moore says, she realized that what she really wanted were “kids of character, kids with a work ethic, kids who love people.”

Moore urges parents not to view their role simplistically, and adds that her children learned character “from problem solving, not having things handed to them.”

Diane Moore is a certified family life counselor and parent mentor with a private practice in Vancouver. Parent Talk is her radio talk show heard in Portland, Vancouver and Boise. Today’s tip comes from a conversation between Moore and one of the show’s callers. It has been edited for time.

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