Sometimes it’s very daunting to know that the kids are using me as the archetype for what a man, and more specifically, what a father is like. Or should be like. I don't think I'm a bad guide or role model, but I'm certainly not as good as I'd like to be. I am determined to teach my kids over and above what the schools do without it being a chore or like a classroom. Looking back, I know that many of the best lessons I learned were far removed from the classroom. Museum, science centers, aquariums or even just being out and about taught me more than a great many classroom lessons. I hope I’m able to take the kids to those type of things where they can learn something and enjoy themselves. I used to be in favor of the “back to basics” school of sitting in front of a blackboard as I did. Now, you can’t do that anymore. Kids are growing up in a digital age. We have amazing tools to use to get these kids to learn things. Not using them is absurd.
I'm not just facing the difficulty of HOW to teach the kids but WHAT to teach them. How do I teach them about guns and safety? I tell my wife I want them to understand and learn about them because they'll develop a healthy respect (and a little bit of fear) of them. They are loud and dangerous and they need to learn that. I'd like to take them shooting when they get a bit older. My wife isn't so sure. She doesn't like guns and fears them. I don't blame her. However, her fear is rooted in the unknown. I don't blame her. The first time I went shooting I started to sweat and got an adrenaline rush that made me jittery and put that ever-familiar taste of copper in my mouth. I loved it but I was very nervous. After a few trips that melted away. I'd like to compete in shooting sports but it's very expensive and time consuming. Time and money are two things I'm perpetually short on. Time, more so. I never realized how time-poor I would become once we had kids. When it was just Colin, I had plenty of time to do what I needed to. Even when Connor first arrived, we were busy but not overly so. Now with three it's just absurd. I don't even have time to mow my lawn let alone take a day or two to go shooting or something.
My wife and I also have this back and forth about sex. What and how do you teach your kids about sex? How do you teach them to be responsible? My wife wants to accept that kids will always have sex and she'd rather talk to them about it and make sure they're "safe" whatever that means. I don't think that's a good idea. I believe everyone should wait until marriage. Not just women, but men too. Really. Things would be better. If I had it to do over again, I would have waited. My wife says the same thing. Too many problems associated with extra-marital sex. Not just disease and pregnancy but the emotional aspect can be overwhelming and just as damaging. I don't want to sound like some 50's era prude but the whole glorification of sex thing is totally out of hand. Can you name one product or service that is not using sex in the commercials? I'd be hard pressed to think of one. Maybe FedEx or something but I heard a friggin commercial for an auto dealership that mimicked (sp?) a phone sex call. I'm thinking, "OK, THAT'S IT. EVERYONE OUT OF THE POOL." That line that you draw between the acceptable and unacceptable gets very bright when you have kids. Bernie Goldberg was guest hosting Michael's show the other day and he said if diet is important because what you take into your body affects your health, isn't the same true of your mind? If you take in a steady diet of crap you're going to turn your brain to mush. I find myself gravitating away from most mindless distractions because so much of it is so vacuous.
I'm not just facing the difficulty of HOW to teach the kids but WHAT to teach them. How do I teach them about guns and safety? I tell my wife I want them to understand and learn about them because they'll develop a healthy respect (and a little bit of fear) of them. They are loud and dangerous and they need to learn that. I'd like to take them shooting when they get a bit older. My wife isn't so sure. She doesn't like guns and fears them. I don't blame her. However, her fear is rooted in the unknown. I don't blame her. The first time I went shooting I started to sweat and got an adrenaline rush that made me jittery and put that ever-familiar taste of copper in my mouth. I loved it but I was very nervous. After a few trips that melted away. I'd like to compete in shooting sports but it's very expensive and time consuming. Time and money are two things I'm perpetually short on. Time, more so. I never realized how time-poor I would become once we had kids. When it was just Colin, I had plenty of time to do what I needed to. Even when Connor first arrived, we were busy but not overly so. Now with three it's just absurd. I don't even have time to mow my lawn let alone take a day or two to go shooting or something.
My wife and I also have this back and forth about sex. What and how do you teach your kids about sex? How do you teach them to be responsible? My wife wants to accept that kids will always have sex and she'd rather talk to them about it and make sure they're "safe" whatever that means. I don't think that's a good idea. I believe everyone should wait until marriage. Not just women, but men too. Really. Things would be better. If I had it to do over again, I would have waited. My wife says the same thing. Too many problems associated with extra-marital sex. Not just disease and pregnancy but the emotional aspect can be overwhelming and just as damaging. I don't want to sound like some 50's era prude but the whole glorification of sex thing is totally out of hand. Can you name one product or service that is not using sex in the commercials? I'd be hard pressed to think of one. Maybe FedEx or something but I heard a friggin commercial for an auto dealership that mimicked (sp?) a phone sex call. I'm thinking, "OK, THAT'S IT. EVERYONE OUT OF THE POOL." That line that you draw between the acceptable and unacceptable gets very bright when you have kids. Bernie Goldberg was guest hosting Michael's show the other day and he said if diet is important because what you take into your body affects your health, isn't the same true of your mind? If you take in a steady diet of crap you're going to turn your brain to mush. I find myself gravitating away from most mindless distractions because so much of it is so vacuous.
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