What right do you have to tell me what to do?

First, your mother isn't be here to tell you what is good for you and what is not good for you. She trusts me to teach you these things, and that gives me the right to tell you what to do.

Second, I promised I would do it. I promised the folks that took you away from your Mom, and they promised your Mom. That gives me the obligation to tell you what to do.

And third, even when you are as mad as a wet cat, you happen to be one of the world's best kids, and that gives me the privilege of telling you what to do.

You see, I have it on good authority that you are one of the world's best kids. God knows I'm not the world's best mother, so He only sends me the very best kids - so they can help me learn to be a better Mom.

Now, I know you don't happen to believe you're one of the world's best kids, and I can understand that. You haven't been taught yet how to behave like you. You're still behaving like someone who is used to being hurt all the time, and used to hurting other people.

Well, you'll get over all that. You were sent here so I could help you get over it, after all. And obviously, the only way I can do that is to tell you what to do and what to not do, right? That's my job. And listening to me, and doing what I tell you, is your job.

If we both do our jobs the way we're supposed to do them, it won't be long at all before you feel like one of the world's best kids. And that's a prize worth working for, isn't it?