One of the most difficult things for adults to be objective about is their own children. Either they’re the smartest, most talented, most well-behaved angels ever to walk face of the earth, or they’re the most horrible monsters ever created. Often this depends on the current circumstances. Sometimes we even manage to hold both views simultaneously. In reality, however, most people’s kids are pretty much average.
I have good kids, really. They are above average at school, respectful to the teachers, and love to read. When they’re good, they’re very, very good. But other times they remind me why they created the term “sibling rivalry”.
But all in all, I really can’t complain. They’re all healthy, reasonably happy, and have a healthy curiosity about the world. They still want to include me in their lives, and I need to appreciate that while I can. They have many things in common with each other and with their parents, yet also some rather surprising traits and interests that seem to come out of nowhere.
And the time is passing so quickly. My wife and I were talking the other night an realized that we’re nearly to the hilltop now. In as many more years as we’ve been together we’ll be just about to the empty nest stage. We’re running out of time to influence our kids.
I suspect they’ll be okay, though. Our kids seem to have the ability to turn out okay in spite of our best efforts to the contrary. We’re not actively trying to ruin them, but to use the modern nomenclature of responsibility-avoidance, “mistakes have been made”. Considering how flawed I am, and how much I’m still trying to figure myself out, it’ll be amazing if my kids turn out reasonably self-reliant and well-adjusted.
But I think they’ll be okay. They’re good kids. And all things considered, we’ve been pretty fortunate to get the ones we got.