Do As I Say...

There are days when I'd rather be surfing my Facebook than working the elliptical. So, can I fault my kids for enjoying Pokemon and YouTube as much as tennis and baseball?

I choose chocolate over cauliflower far too often. So, can I blame my kids for being attracted to the Cupcake ATM?

I dig my heels in to finish what I've started. So, can I blame my kids for wanting "one more minute"?

I don't always have the attention span to read a less than exciting book or stay awake through a less than exciting movie. So, can I really fault my kids for being less than engaged in homework that is not engaging?

I am skeptical more often than I'd like to be, and wary for my own protection. So, is it so surprising that my kids don't follow instructions blindly "because I say so"?

One of the most challenging parts of parenthood is being able to give the best of yourself without letting your "not so best" rub off on your kids, of sharing who you are without sharing some of the things you'd rather not be. I suppose, then, that the best parents simply try to teach their kids to know the difference. So, that's what I'm trying. So, please, children, do as I say--at least some of the time--and not everything--only some things--as I do.