What we pass on

There are many things we pass on to our kids... some on purpose and some by accident.

Kids are like a sponge and really do absorb all around them. It's fascinating to see my kids speaking in tones that I use and picking up on mannerisms that I do. Fascinating, and at the same time scary, I suppose.

It's the little things that amaze, though. As a teenager, I lived on Arby's sandwiches. The "5 for 5" deal was made for high school kids - especially since it was down the street from our high school. The wife is not a big fan, so years go by before I get a roast beef sandwich with Horsie and Arby sauce. This weekend, we got Arby's for the family. My son devoured his sandwich and declared it was, "delicious!" With that proclamation I realized I had passed on a little bit of me. The moment was not lost on the wife either as she observed, "Are you glad he likes Arby's like his dad?" That got me thinking of what other non-life-lesson type stuff we pass on.

My morning drive to drop off the oldest daughter allows us to share some music time together. Time was where she'd control the playlist - the usual fare - Disney favorites, Raffi, etc. These days, we've moved on to more sophisticated bands, like Owl City and Keane. She even has a healthy appreciation for 80's music, with her favorites being Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time" and The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams."

It's taking all that in that you realize how much we influence our kids - both knowingly and unknowingly.