See, the thing is, at a certain age, your kids are always going to think you’re overbearing, so why worry about it? Nothing much you can do about it and I figure if they’re happy and healthy, you’re obviously doing something right. I guess...I guess the best way to let ‘em know they’re important is to treat them their age, give them the space they need. I mean, it’s not something dramatic, you know, it’s not something grand like giving them a thousand caps or something, but I think in the long run, it’s something they’ll appreciate. And, I mean, it’s hard, I know, because you could have a kid that’s fifty years old (uh, not you in specific, but in the generalized sense) but you look at them and all you see is that toddler who wouldn’t stop shoving rocks up her nose any chance they get, but they’re like...people with their decisions to make, which is really trippy to think about. So give ‘em space when they need it and give ‘em respect and still be there.
Also, highly recommend learning to knit because you can basically just throw scarves at them and they’ll always be like, “Dad, I don’t need another scarf,” but they’re wearing them and they won’t admit it but they appreciate the heck out of it. Yarn prices are outrageous, though, so that’s a real bummer.