Teach Them To Your Children

Parenting is an amazing role.

I know, everyone says it, there are books stacked to the moon and back saying so, countless TV programmes, and endless movies. Normally the more something is professed the less likely I am to believe it. But at least as far as the species-wide conviction that there is "something sacred in raising a child" goes I have downed vast quantities of the Kool Aid.

The Small Boy daily amazes me, and I am delighted to be amazed again. For a while there I was having symptoms of overdose, but I seem to have modified my doses and found equilibrium in my blood levels (due in no small part to his being in preschool now).

Raising a child takes a village. I loved Hillary Rodham-Clinton's much-maligned book (1996 - Simon & Schuster) and the past two and a half years have only cemented the conviction that you can't go it alone. We loved our daycare in Auckland. It was secular, multi-cultural, mainstream New Zealand at it's best. They loved our kids and they fed and taught them well. The Small Boy grew like a weed with their nurturing. We were sad to say good-bye to them.

The small boy started Jewish preschool two weeks ago. The pre-school is affiliated with the synagogue where the Boy works, and is a wonderful place. Yep, I have that flavor of Kool Aid on my breath, too. But it seriously is fantastic. Warm, inviting, joyous, accepting, and Jewish. I know that "that" should make such a huge difference, but it does.

On the way home this afternoon the Small Boy sang away to himself as he usually does, only this time it was different, he was singing Shabbat songs. Songs that he had just sung with his classmates (and the rest of the preschool) at their weekly pre-Shabbat song and story session with the Rabbi (read "Daddy") and Cantorial Soloist. Tonight as we made Kiddush together marking the arrival of Shabbat the Small Boy piped up and sang - albeit a little muddled - the appropriate blessings for the candles, wine and bread.

Good stuff, stuff that makes me feel like we are doing all right by him, and raising a Mensch!

Shabbat Shalom, Small Boy. Your Abba loves you.