Things I have NOT learned

I haven't posted in a while, and certainly not for lack of good material. As anyone with experience with a 1 year old can tell you, it's day after day of blog-worthy stuff.

But I got to thinking about my last post (yes, 3 months ago) where I imparted such incredible parenting wisdom upon you all, and I realized that there is just SO MUCH that I don't understand, it really isn't worth spouting off about the few things that I have figured out.

I was asked recently by a friend considering having kids in the next year or so, "how do you figure everything out? Do you read books, or do people tell you about how to do things?" The answer came almost without thought..."um, nope...really, you just kinda figure things out as you go along." And it is so true.

Now that's not to say there isn't good information available on parenting...between all the books, magazines, and opinions of other interested parties (we'll call them "grandparents"), there's a good bit that can be helpful. However, these are all mostly guidelines, and not so much because every kid is so unique and different, but mainly because we as parents are all so unique and different. There are stark contrasts between the parenting styles of Caleb's two parents. I'm somewhat harsher, quicker to reprimand, but also quicker to just act a fool and play around. Hilary is much more balanced between being the corrections officer and the entertainer. And of course, Caleb recognizes those differences somewhat, and he reacts differently to each of us as a result.

So that's what I'm proposing...I think Caleb - and most kids - are a product of their environment in so many ways. They learn everything, they pay attention constantly (even if it doesn't seem that way). And it helps to recognize the importance of your role and what you can and can't do. If you think "kids will be kids" or "well, my little guy is just that way," then you're missing the most important and easily adjusted part of the equation - you.

Or in this case, me.