We speak about how to view children, what they are, and what they can ideally be. We also speak about why parents matter, exposing kids to the world, how to think about peers, the strained relationship between men and women, the new horizon of surrogacy, and the importance of rituals in the lives of children and everyone else, and more.

Tara Ann Thieke is a homemaker and writer. She’s on Twitter at @taraannthieke.