Last night at the bar Steve Steketee, Steve Durrell and I were talking about all of the toys we had when we were kids. We had matchbox cars, wood blocks, Lincoln Logs, Legos, cardboard bricks, action figures, big wheels, and of course the wide world outside of our houses. Lots of these were simple toys, requiring us to use our imaginations, and we loved it.
Are toys like that anymore? All of the Lego sets I see come with a "final design". You buy the blocks to make a particular thing. Gone are the sets of miscellaneous geometric Lego bricks (in red, blue, yellow and green) that we would use to build whatever we could imagine. Our finished designs weren't as cool as a replica Millennium Falcon, but we didn't need that.
Do kids even find these toys fun anymore? Those simple toys now need to compete with fancier toys, video games, and 24 hour kid's television. Can a parent keep their kid interested in these simple things, without turning them into a social outcast?
I admit, I'm a tad bit lazy. I've been planning on getting on the excercise bike for the last 4 months. I've used it once. When I come home, I want to sit out the couch. Maybe take a nap. Being a parent is a lot of work. Being a good parent is a ton of work. Am I up for the challenge? Will I be a great parent? Will my kid play with simple toys, have an imagination, want to play outside? None of this will happen unless I (and Bobbie Jo) really work at it.
I know that all of these feelings are things that all other soon-to-be parents think about. I don't think that any of these thoughts are unique. All of my friends are great parents, all in their own ways, but they have all made it work. They are raising their kids to be upstanding members of society. I see it in all of my interactions with them and their kids. I still question how I'm going to do it.
I've been wanting to make this post for quite a while, but had difficulty putting it all into words. I've disabled comments on this post as I know we will immediately get lots of "You are going to be great parents" posts. I'm not fishing for reassurance, I know we'll be a great Mom and Dad, but I'm still terrified.
Thanks for listening, and know that we will be asking you for advice sometime in the near future.
-James
