The Tonka Truck Theory of Parenting

I developed this theory many years ago, before I began regularly working with families.  No matter how hard a parent tries, they're bound to get something wrong. It's inevitable, and that can be, kind of, OK.

Nothing I have learned since has disproved it.

 

When you were a child, you wanted a Tonka Truck.  

    But for some reason your parents never bought you a Tonka Truck.  

         So now you are a parent, and whatever else your child may or may not have, 

              you will buy her a Tonka Truck.

But your child does not want a Tonka Truck.

Your child wants a rocking horse.

But for some reason you have never bought your child a rocking horse.

So now your child is an adult, and whatever else her child may or may not have,

She will buy her child a rocking horse.

But her child does not want a rocking horse.

    Her child wants a puppy.  

        But for some reason he has never bought his child a puppy.  

             So now his child is an adult, and whatever else his child may or may not have,

                 He will buy his child a puppy.

But his child does not want a puppy.

His child wants a Tonka Truck.

So there it is, my contribution to the social sciences.  By all means pass it on, but remember to say where you heard it:  I'd quite like it to go down to history as Spencer's Theory.