I asked Nico the other day what advice he might have for parents. After all, he has 2 of them and he’s eleven now. He has at least a decade of experience on the subject. I was thinking we could co-write an article on an 11 year old’s advice to parents, his perspective. May be spin it off to a series of books that both parents and kids could read together. A book to help them help each other.

He said he would have to think about it. So I gave him a couple of days and asked again. He gave me that look, you know the look that’s asking if any of this would get back to his parents.

Only if they read the post I reassured him.

He thought some more. “You know, Nanu, you should probably ask my brother (who’s 3). I mean 11 year olds, we want everything!” His way of telling me he had no advice he was willing to share.

So, I told him that when I was 11, I had felt sorry for my folks. They were good people, just not as smart as me. I thought this might loosen him up. It didn’t.

I don’t know if Nico feels that same way about his parents, but I know ( he’s all but told me) he thinks he’s smarter than me. The amazed look on his face when I tell him I already know something he just discovered. Priceless. “How did you know that, Nanu? Really, how did you?” I Love it!

Truth is, he’s way ahead of me. Just like my kids were too. Of course, I’d never tell them that, but I’m pretty sure they knew it. How did I get so dumb? I became a parent and was pretty smart. Do kids make you stupid? Now that would be an interesting subject to explore!

When they were young I’d spend as much time as I could with them but then my “adult” life appeared. There was the career; the dreams that I spent half a lifetime pursuing. I spent so many years chasing after one thing or another. I had bills to pay, meetings to attend, elections to campaign for, I got so busy trying to catch up to whatever, I just got further and further behind.

I didn’t see it coming. I got stupid.

And then 11 years ago, Nico was born. I got a 2nd chance to get smarter. Not necessarily smart, but the opportunity to leave the island of stupid was at hand.

Once again, I got to see life firsthand through a child’s eyes.
How simple life can be.

Simply extraordinary!

Thanks for the lifeline, Nico.

JT
one of my favorite songs from a favorite artist.
mercy, mercy me

click the video link below