by Jimmy Ettele

Created on: October 23, 2008

I woke up to the smell of slightly overcooked Eggo Muffin Top Breakfast treats on Tuesday. While I enjoy the aroma of one of Eggo's breakfast masterpieces, I become bathed in fear when I'm not the one doing the toasting and I have yet to get out of bed. I immediately run down the steps missing eight of the twelve total. I get to the kitchen and there is my six year old daughter. Kneeling confidently on one of the 'island' stools we use in the kitchen, Hannah is directly in front of the toaster oven. I hear the familiar metallic pop letting all know what ever it is you have toasted, is finished. She has yet to turn her head to me, either out of ignorance of my approach or complete apathy towards me and I can't tell which. All I know she has focused into getting out the Muffin Top in the toaster that has been folded in half by the 'popping' and can not be retrieved without help. It is then I step in, say good morning, explain to her what happened and show her what to do next.

Thus I have punched in on my parent time card and started my day. So much of my children's experiences right now have to deal with learning about all the cool things in front of their faces. The toaster oven. Figuring out how to get their favorite cup for their milk, the cup that happens to be so high up, I need a step stool to get to it. Their experiences are so visceral. Full of contact and experimentation. My job is to maintain their safety and health. To show them how things work. Why we avoid sticking objects, especially fingers or shiny metal things, into electrical sockets. They are learning about their world but I know it will not be long before my little girls, who merely want to make their dad a Muffin Top before he wakes up, will need a new sort of parent.

Kids hit their teenage years doing 150mph and don't slow down nor look back. Their teachings need to keep up with their buried speedometer needle of life. They no longer need to know how to tie their shoes or how kissing a boo boo will help with the pain. They know better than to pick something up off the floor and put it in their mouths, though they might do it simply because their 15 year old minds told them someone would laugh at it.

As our kids unfortunately continue to age and grow up even more, again what they need to be taught or coached or shown has changed. As parents we again take another turn and change the course. New stresses of graduation, facing the "real world" we have been telling them about since they through

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>