Whose Bright Idea is That?

As much as we think we have no control or impact, parents are influential. Think about the last time you asked yourself: Why do I do that? Why do I act like that? Why do I talk that way? If you answered, "Because Mom/Dad did," then you see my point. We do have the power to shape the next generation.

But we share it.

It never ceases to amaze me when our son starts a new "habit" of sorts because somebody (read: not his parents!) encouraged him to do so. He recently was filling up his big water bottle and I observed that it was an awful lot of water. "Well Mom, we should be drinking at least 64 ounces a day. I need to drink two of these."

If I had suggested he drink more water, I lay odds 10-1 he'd have said, "But Mom, I'm not thirsty!" It becomes a darn good idea when the health teacher mentions it, though.

Take this band thing.... Jim and I had never talked to Carter seriously about joining band when the opportunity came in 6th grade. Not that we were judging him by his tone-searching singing or his abilities on Guitar Hero. It just never came up.

When he approached us and actually asked to go to the meeting to sign up, we were delighted he was showing interest in something extra curricular his mean parents weren't forcing on him (i.e. Sunday School, tackle football, etc.). So we're playing it cool and we'll support his interest in this until our ears bleed. Well hopefully it won't go that far.

Carter mentioned in his blog before school started that he is anxious to play school basketball this fall. When we asked him in prior years, he did not want to sign up -- even for the league at the YMCA. Somehow in the past year or so, he jumped on Daddy's Celtics bandwagon and has enjoyed watching it and now playing it (in a shooting hoops solo sort of way).

It wasn't our idea that he go out and shoot hoops just about every night. He certainly would have bucked at it if it was. "What?! I have to practice every day?!?" He's just enjoying it and wanting to do something about it. It's nice when some professional athletes behave like the influential icons they are (but don't get me started on that).

Unfortunately (well not all unfortunate), Carter will still end up doing things like his Dad and his Mom that he doesn't want to. It will eventually just come naturally and he'll be trying to fight it still at 40.

Like the other night when I was cutting his hair and trying to explain/show him on the trimmer the difference between 3/4" and 7/8". Hubby pipes up, "You two should have your own sit-com, you know that?"

At least that is almost a positive comment. Usually he just calls us Idgit #1 and Idgit #2. Apparently it doesn't skip a generation...