Here's a shorter version--

I would hate, on my worst day as a parent, to meet myself on my best day! Isn't that what parental guilt really is-- judging our own past, stressed behavior by the light of our present calm? Even the "best" parents have that guilt, because NO ONE is a perfect parent, and our society is rigged to a LOUSY structure for raising kids.

I used to laugh and laugh trying to say this line in counseling sessions:

"Of course my kid is ruined for life, but I didn't fall for the isolation like most parents-- no! I made sure I had plenty of help to screw him up this good!" The counselor would answer, "Good for you! Who helped?" And I'd list all the ways schools had oppressed him, the ways others had played their societal roles perfectly resulting in disrespecting my son, etc. (The laughter soon gives way to tears in that kind of session.)

It takes a village to screw up a kid, you know.

~Susan