The Parent's Role

Coach, not operator. Safety net, not rescue.

The instinct that causes the most damage here is a loving one. You can see the problem, you could fix it in nine seconds, and watching your kid fumble it is uncomfortable. Fix it and the business quietly becomes yours, along with the pride that was supposed to be theirs.

What works instead is a question that hands the decision back, plus the discipline to let a small failure land. The falls worth catching are the ones that would end the whole thing. The ones that only sting are the lesson.