Sunday, November 20, 2011

Good Parenting Advice

'Anyone can give them answers. They'll get plenty of answers in school. And they'll be tested on them in school. What we give them is an environment where they can question safely.'

That came out of a conversation between the guys at Penny Arcade about talking to your kids about religion.

I would imagine this advice isn't limited to religion alone. All kinds of people have all kinds of ideas. Some of them are good, and some of them are bad, and most people (including us) aren't hesitant to share their ideas with our kids.

A long time ago I realized that the people who go around 'telling it like it is' are often the most full of shit*. If I can teach my kids how to wade through the shit to get to the good stuff--and how to recognize good stuff when they get to it--I think I'll have done a pretty decent job in a key area of parenting. If I can teach them how to wade through my shit as well, I'll have gone above and beyond.

* as someone who spends a lot of time sharing his opinions with folks, maybe I should meditate on that a little bit.

7 comments:

  1. "I tell it like it is," seems awfully familiar to "I don't mean to sound racist, but..." Or perhaps its analogous to "I'm a really spiritual person." All of which trigger my automatic "Shut the f__k up," response.

    ReplyDelete
  2. All of those are trademark douchebag comments.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't want to sound like a know it all, but I have lived a long life and I really do know it all. Just kidding, as a matter of fact just this morning I polished my shoes with shit.....I thought it was Shinola.

    Good advise Spencer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think starting the day off with a shit-shoeshine is a good way to set the bar.

    ReplyDelete
  5. advoid 'tell it like it is" as well as people who are "Keeping it real"

    ReplyDelete
  6. maybe, but to me folks who 'keep it real' are preferable to folks who 'tell it like it is'. If I'm 'keeping it real', I'm just trying to be as honest as possible. If I'm 'telling it like it is', I'm assuming that I have a totally objective understanding of all of the little intricacies of whatever subject I'm talking about, and am going to blow your deluded little mind when I lay it all on the table. That's pretty arrogant, and definitely worthy of Lodo's 'Shut the fuck up' response.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The best Thanksgiving to your family Spencer. Even you right leaning relitives.

    ReplyDelete