Hey, it's Hillary.

And here at the Longest Shortest Time, we know that one of the best parts about raising

a kid is watching them grow up and become more independent.

But sometimes when they're little, they need a little push into that independence.

You know what I mean?

Like, when we need to get some work done or cook dinner.

So we invent these little strategies to help them learn to entertain themselves.

And then when our kids get older and they actually want independence, we need some strategies

for ourselves.

Like, give our kids the space to make mistakes.

Well, here at the show, we are making a book of creative parenting strategies.

Your creative parenting strategies.

It's called Weird Parenting Winds.

And we're doing a whole chapter on independence.

And we want you to tell us all the surprising ways that you've gotten your kids to discover

their independence.

All the way from toddlers to teens, it's super easy to submit your win.

Just go to WeirdParentingWinds.com and fill out the form.

Speaking of independence, I'm actually on my way out the door for a little vacation.

And thanks to the modern technology of microphones and computers, you'll be hearing my voice in

the ads today.

But your guide in today's show is my trusty producer, Kristen Clark.

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