pbutton...COOL!

ELEMENTS OF ADEQUATE CHILDHOOD NURTURING
F 1. TIME AND ATTENTION. By consistently making their child a priority, and through being reliably available, caretakers make the child feel important, cared about, and secure.
F 2. EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING. Caretakers are able to identify and appreciate their child’s thoughts and feelings. They can grasp what their child is expressing—or trying to express—thus enabling the child to feel understood (so very important to a child).
F 3. VALIDATION. Caretakers affirm and support (while not necessarily agreeing with) the reality of their child’s feelings, thoughts, viewpoints, and ideas. That is, they respond to the child’s sharing as personally meaningful, legitimate, or justifiable. Whether the child’s perception, or perspective, is accurate from an adult frame of reference, it’s still appreciated as making logical sense from the child’s point of view.
F 4. TRUST. Caretakers exhibit a basic confidence in their child’s ability to learn new things, perform tasks, complete projects, etc. In general, they’re able to trust their child with age-appropriate responsibilities—and in doing so, help the child feel capable and competent.
F 5. ENCOURAGEMENT. Caretakers show approval of, foster and support their child’s willingness to tackle new things, while doing everything they can to alleviate the child’s hesitancy or anxiety—rooted in their natural fear of not being sufficiently intelligent, competent, or adept.
F 6. RECOGNITION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Caretakers regularly take note of and show appreciation for their child’s accomplishments—as well as their sincere efforts to achieve, whether or not they’re successful.
F (unless it's inappropriate touching, than it's an A+) 7. TOUCHING AND HOLDING. Caretakers have frequent physical contact with the child that feels supportive, affectionate, and loving—as opposed to manipulative, denigrating, abusive, or punitive. Such behaviors relate to “reliable warmth”: the prevailing emotional tone, or “climate,” in the household.
F 8. RESPECT. All the child’s thoughts, feelings, needs, and desires are taken seriously: they’re not discounted, disapproved or made fun of simply because they’re self-centered, immature, or “less than adult.”
F 9. GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION. Caretakers function as “mentors.” Rather than dominating or controlling the child, they share their knowledge and experience to—non-condescendingly—advise, “coach,” or clarify what may be confusing or conflictual to the child);
A + (there was no supervision ever) 10. FREEDOM. Caretakers allow the child physical, mental, and emotional liberty. That is, to have their own space, without parents’ intruding on them; to come and go as they please, though with appropriate limit-setting; to feel and verbally express (vs. “act out”) all their feelings; and to openly communicate their sentiments and views, regardless of how much they may differ from their parents’. The child need not fear that honest self-expression will make them vulnerable to parental criticism or censure.