I have one standout memory from my childhood: I was a toddler, and I kept reaching for a cookie sheet that had just come out of the oven. I knew it was hot, but I guess I was curious to find out exactly how hot. (Kids are so weird.) My dad, sick of me not listening to my mom's warnings, finally said, "Go ahead, touch it." As you might imagine, I burned my fingers on contact and began scream-crying with swollen hands. But hey, you can bet that I never tried to touch a hot pan again. - 5 Tips For Good Parenting To this day, I'm still determining whether that was an example of cruelty or tough love, but I did learn my lesson. Fast forward to me today, at 24 years old (my fingers are fine by the way), and I honestly couldn't be prouder of who and where I am at this semi-early stage in my life. And I genuinely believe that my tough love upbringing played a role. Beyond that one example, there were plenty more that followed, in which I had to learn to