We are less than eight weeks out from meeting Blob and Kirby and I have been talking a lot about life lessons to teach baby. It feels a bit daunting to think of all of the things happening in the world right now and how we will teach Blob one day about things like privilege, the pandemic and racism. In addition to all of that, kids seem to face a lot more scary, heavy and confusing shit now than even when we were in school. Between our soon-to-be teenage niece and my sister, who is a high school teacher, Kirby and I are always blown away hearing about the things that tweens and teenagers deal with.
One step at a time though. We know that we have plenty of time before we have to have those conversations with Blob, but in the meantime, there are some important life lessons that we want to prepare to teach baby.
+ Everyone deserves kindness.
+ Don’t believe everything you see on Facebook.
+ Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, but also, don’t be stupid.
+ Don’t gamble.
+ You don’t have to pet other people’s dogs, but if it’s really important to you, always ask the owner first.
+ Never be afraid to call mom and dad for help. Ever.
+ Do what you feel is right, not cool.
+ Never put pickles on a peanut butter sandwich.
+ Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional. Best advice Walt Disney ever gave!
+ There is no perfect timeline. Do things at your own pace, when you feel ready.
+ Always oil the grill before you put the steaks on. That’s a metaphor for life (according to Kirby).
+ You’ll make choices every day. You’ll choose who to be friends with and who not to. You’ll choose to take a job for the money or blaze your own trail for the freedom. You’ll choose to save your pennies up to buy a home or spend it all on golf clubs (ahem..), and you’ll choose to make the right decision or the wrong one many, many times. Be prepared to be decisive, but thoughtful, and know that while your choices determine your path, you can always change your mind.
+ Finally, mom and dad are the coolest and best friends you’ll ever have. Don’t ever forget that.
Don’t worry, we won’t overwhelm the kid on day one (lol), but we think it’s important to start thinking about the child that we want to raise. He or she will make their own mistakes and learn many lessons, but hopefully, mom and dad can pass on at least some useful advice!
