Picking blueberries with my family showed me I needed to be a less anxious parent
![When Francis Chang was younger, he was an anxious parent and too focused on getting his young kids into college and eventually hired into good jobs. It took his mother-in-law’s instructions on blueberry picking to make him appreciate that kids are like blueberries — they need a bit more time, light and space to grow to become the best, most ready version of themselves. A smiling man holding a basket of blueberries smiles and stands next to two girls picking fruit.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7239025.1721928440!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/blueberry-illustration.jpg)
When Francis Chang was younger, he was an anxious parent and too focused on getting his young kids into college and eventually hired into good jobs. It took his mother-in-law’s instructions on blueberry picking to make him appreciate that kids are like blueberries — they need a bit more time, light and space to grow to become the best, most ready version of themselves.