There are lots of things I used to sneer at as ridiculous. But then I had kids and suddenly, stuff started to make more sense. Oh I still sneer at them but they make more sense to me. Giving kids trophies just for showing up was one of them. It seemed silly and didn’t really teach the kid about working hard to achieve a goal. But if you’ve ever seen the look of disappointment on the face a kid who tried his best but still failed, you realize that some lessons just don’t matter. ADHD was another one. Before becoming a parent, I thought ADHD was just something parents hid behind to explain away their inability to control their kids. Then I experienced it first hand and praise the medication that’s out there. And I’ve lost patience for any parent who says, “oh I’d never medicate my child.” Yes you would if it would make his life easier.
The latest thing is the preschool graduation. It’s taken me awhile to come around on this one because it just seemed silly and unnecessary. Making parents to take time off for some totally invented occasion felt a little Hallmarkish, you know? And Hallmark sells preschool graduation cards. I know because we got one for my daughter. I was right there in the middle of the throng of smiling parents and videocameras with a goofy grin on my face as my little girl walked down the aisle with her classmates, sat down and sang a song from “Seussical”. And as I fought back the tears I felt coming on as the ceremony wrapped up, I realized that as ridiculous as the whole thing was, there was nowhere else I would rather have been.
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