Dear Dr. Laura,

My parents reared me from the school of hard knocks and I hated it back then, but have come to absolutely love it now. I thought making an 11-year-old buy her first 10-speed Schwinn bike with her chore and birthday money was the meanest thing my parents ever had done to me...Well that, and giving me a second-hand television for college of which I had to use aluminum foil for rabbit ears and pliers for the channel changer.  (Anyone remember those days?)  By the way, my middle sister who is 10 years older was given a brand new television the nerve, right?

Without knowing it, they taught me the value of a nickel. I turned out unspoiled, gracious and hungry to make my way through the world. My two sisters are 10 and 11 years older and get more spoiled as they get older.  I have to say, my parents did the best they could with what they knew when it came to my siblings, but by the time I came around they had learned a different way to raise a child. I was very blessed growing up. I knew how to save and I started working in the real world at age 13.

Now, I have two college-aged young ladies and I do believe I am harder on them with special kindness than my parents were on me. This is a cruel world and kids better be prepared or they will get eaten alive. My daughters are doing the eating with special kindness in this world not the other way around. I thank God for them everyday.

Donna, a grateful daughter and mother