What to expect here, part 1

Not sure where this is going, but I promise it will be interesting.

I'll share my views and reviews of Twin Cities music, food, attractions, and social commentary. There is a lot of great stuff going on in Minneapolis and St Paul. Proud of the artists, performers, citizens, business owners, and neighbors that make up the great communities in MSP!

Family (especially my son) and friends are very important to me, so I'll try to capture and share some (mis)-adventures, and those fleeting moments of childhood before they have completely come and gone.

"It's not about you, it's not about me, it's about us"

~dhub

Kindergarten: Day One

Little Bear turned six in July. Yesterday was orientation to kindergarten, but today is the "official" first day of school. Beds have been made, breakfast has been eaten, teeth brushed, faces washed, hair combed, and uniform is on (with shirt tucked in). It's time to go....

Already, Little Bear says "I love school" and "School is cool". I hope he continues to feel that way for the next 9 years at this school, then for more of High School, and who knows how many of college. Yesterday he said "I want to be a doctor when I grow up". This is the first I've heard of that. Apparently, Gamma suggested it to him. As long as he can match his gifts/talents with his passions, I'm certain he'll be a success, and more importantly, he'll be happy.

At school, all the "kinders" lined up in front of the main entrance where their teachers were waiting for them. It was very crowded with proud parents and grandparents. When the bell rang at 8:10, the "kinders" were led into the school while all of the 1st and 2nd graders applauded their newest and youngest schoolmates. There were more teary-eyed parents than children. A proud moment for all, and yet another reminder of how quickly our children grown up.

After three years of preschool, Little Bear is accustomed to separation from his parents, so there was no sign of anxiety from him. Like many parents my age, I started kindergarten at age five. I was a little concerned about holding my son back an extra year before starting school, but his preschool teacher thought it would be a good idea as he wasn't quite ready to settle down at age five. I felt that it would be better to be younger, and challenged academically than to be older, and perhaps smarter. After giving it some thought, and consulting others, we determined that no one has ever complained about being too old in school. Since my birthday is at the end of April, I turned 18 about a month before graduation, while many of my classmates had turned 18 long before me. It turns out that they have a label for the act of holding your child back when their birthday is "on the cusp", July in my son's case. It's called "red-shirting". 60 Minutes did a segment on it earlier this year. Perhaps I'll write my thoughts about red-shirting at a later date.

In a nutshell, I feel that we are giving our son an advantage over the other kids in his class, but it seems this practice is more common for children attending private schools than it is for children in public schools. Little Bear is probably the tallest kid in his class, partly because he is six years old, but he's always been in the 90-95 percentile range for height and weight compared to children the same age. Being taller, older, more mature, and "smarter" gives him several advantages. My hope is that he'll be a leader instead of a follower, he'll be picked first for sports activities, and he'll be ahead of other kids academically. I haven't met many children that can read nearly any book you put in front of them. My son learned to read early on and he was an early communicator. We taught him some sign language before he was able to speak. I remember him signing "more" and "cookie" and "milk" long before he uttered his first words. Reading with your child at an early age is probably one of the most important and beneficial things you can do for him. He loves books and reads almost anything be can get his hands on.

The first day of Kindergarten is one is those benchmarks in a child's life that parents will not soon forget. Prepare your child, take lots of pictures, and document it for posterity. You'll be glad you did. I am.

Papa Bear
~dhub

Little Bear: The End of Innocence

I have a five and a half year old boy and I've been calling him "Little Bear" for years. Every time I say "Little Bear", he responds with "Papa Bear". I never prompted him, he just did it. What child hasn't heard some stories about bears, including a Papa Bear? Good night Little Bear, goodnight Papa Bear. Hey Little Bear, let's go brush our teeth, okay Papa Bear. It's so cute, and I have to admit, I like being Papa Bear!

A couple of days ago, Little Bear asked me "why do we call each other bear?" I told him that I started calling him Little Bear when he was very young, and that it's a nickname I gave him. This question made me think. He has never asked a question like this, and he has always just accepted the things I tell him. For the most part he still does, after-all, he is only five, and not exactly a critical, objective thinker. Not yet anyway. But the fact that he asked this question tells me that he is on his way, and it won't be long before he starts asking lots of other questions too. Questions that I may not know the answer to, and questions that might make me uncomfortable. Questions that indicate he no longer accepts everything he hears at face value, that there is more to know about a subject, a tradition, a belief, and a reason for acting/reacting the way we do in certain circumstances or around certain people. Since I don't have other children, or experiencing raising children, this is all new to me. Sure I have an opinion about how other people ought to raise their children, and sometimes I share that opinion, and sometimes I bite my lip. It's not my place to tell others how to be a good parent, unless they are open to feedback and ask for my advice. 

My responsibility to my son is paramount to everything else. All decisions have to be in his best interest (although that is my motto, my actions aren't always reflective of this). When it comes to answering questions, and I know this is just the beginning, I need to do my best to answer honestly. If I don't know the answer, I need to be comfortable telling him that I don't know (without diluting the whole "super hero dad that knows everything" fantasy). I'd like to be able to tell my son that "I'm not sure", or "I don't know, but that's a good question, let's go find out". Then follow up with the research, the experiments, the explorations, the questions, the discussions, etc., and show him that there are tools we can use to find answers to the questions we don't know the answers to. Kind of like the whole "teach a man to fish" parable. 

The age when children are totally dependent and see their parents as the "smartest, strongest, wisest" person in the whole wide world is a magical time. But the end of innocence is just around the corner and I want to be ready. I want to be able to show my son that, for all my faults, I do the best I can. I want to share what I've learned from my mistakes, and accept that these "life lessons" will not necessarily deter him from finding out for himself and making his own mistakes. I want to show him that the quest for truth, knowledge, justice, and compassion is a righteous path and one that lasts a lifetime. Even better than showing him, I'd like to see him discover this on his own. I can live my life as an example, and hopefully he will see the results himself. But mostly, I'd like to be Papa Bear for a little bit longer, as he will always be my Little Bear. 

~dhub

Broadcasting dhubzone

Delta Hotel Union Bravo ~ Zulu Oscar November Echo - "broadcasting a punch in the face" (Prof/POS)

-----------

(In addition to posting my take on the Twin Cities and it's abundant offerings, I intend to sprinkle this blog with some stories about my family, friends, and co-workers. And of course some of my own adventures too)

~dhub