Well, to get across my thougths it might be useful to think of launching the Space Shuttle. Let's make this about three different events: a) before the launch, b) what happens during the launch and c) after the launch. As I understand it, human kids are the least prepared for life (at the time of birth) of any creatures on earth. Human kids continue developing critical skills for years after birth and require much support and many resources from their caretakers for quite a time. Child development is quite a wonderful study, which you can learn from better educational resources that I am. Somewhere between 6 and 8 a kid shifts to being self-sufficient or at least able to be a full human with integrity at the brain development level any way. I don't think of them as completely developed yet, since they miss the ability for abstract thinking. But they begin the process of disconnecting from their caretakers and enter into peer relationships at this age. This is analogous to all the excitement of the space shuttle as is goes onto its own power, launches up, picks up speed, finally settles into orbit. Kind of wild! From now on human kids are learning the skills of getting along and witnessing others getting along in a social world. They may not be very well trained (but then many adults seem pretty untrained - consider our congress at times :) ), but I believe they automatically tend to think of themselves as unique and independent. Before this "switch over" they depend on their caretakers. After this change, they increasingly learn self-sufficiency, and their need for their caretakers recedes into the background. This is normal. This is my image that I have come to over quite a few years. It works for me, so I keep it and share it. I think the task of caretakers is to assist this "natural" process. To under nurture a kid under this age, I think, is just as bad as over-nurturing a kid over that age. Both, I think could easily fall into the arena of damaging growing people. So for me, I use the humorous phrase "lucky to get Oxygen" to challenge people to encourage themselves and others to break up any neotanous behaviors that we humans tend to display - childish behaviors in adults. I like to remind people that, as adults, they have to earn what they get. Tis just my thinking. Hope this helps. Al