Influences

I sure hope that as my 2 kids grow up they can avoid "celebrity influence", ignore all their gossip and drama, and not justify their actions based on what any given celebrity does.

• Justin Bieber eggs his neighbor's house and gets arrested for DUI.

• Rob Ford is doing God knows what as mayor.

•  How many actors (Philip Seymour Hoffman just recently) and actresses and musicians have died of overdosing? 

 It should be easy to teach them not to act like famous people. The real challenge will be: do the right thing. Even if the right thing isn't what everyone else is doing.

One child is already leaning towards being a follower. His "friends" will be doing something they probably (or definitely) shouldn't be doing. Instead of stepping away, he joins them. We've talked several times about behavior and what's expected. But I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier in the moment. I was a kid once... sometime a long time ago (It's been a couple hours now). So I can understand, to a degree, about getting caught up in the moment and having fun. Until that fun is 1) making a terrible mess that shouldn't be made 2) hurting someone or their feelings 3) not doing what he's supposed to be doing. 

1 I'm not too worried about. Messes can be cleaned up- unless it's something that's been broken. But I know how much he hates to clean. (He once sat in his toy room and did nothing for 2 straight hours to try to get out of cleaning it) So usually when he makes a mess he believes someone else will clean it for him. 2 is worse. He would never hurt someone intentionally. But he would be mean (argue and yell at) to someone who is being mean to him. I know he would because I saw him do it last week. I've now started talking to him about not being mean to anyone for any reason. Even if they're being mean to him. If someone starts being mean to him he is to leave them and go somewhere else. Even if they deserve a punch in the throat (no, I didn't tell him that part). And lastly, 3 is about following directions. When he's given a direction he needs to follow it regardless of what's going on around him. He is so easily distracted (I think he gets that from me... ooh a squirrel!) (Or he might get it from his uncle). I go all teacher on him. Work and assignments come first, always do your best work, read read read. With a little luck and some perseverance (and some kicks in the pants) some of it will sink in. My fingers are crossed anyway.

This post turned out to be a bit longer than I was planning. But it is what I'm currently trying to inscribe on our children before it's too late.