Super Kids

As I begin my life into fatherhood and watch Landri roll around and stretch it reminds me of something that drives me nuts about parents.  I'm not a fan of parents who make stuff up about their children to make us all feel like our kids are inferior to theirs.  I know that everyone is proud of their child and they should be but when telling a story about your child you need to realize that everyone knows that it is impossible for a child to talk at 5 to 6 months.  I don't mind hearing people talk about their children as long as the stories are believable.  

One story that I love to tell people that I had a Dad tell me one time is about his son who may or may not even exist.  I worked with this guy who will remain nameless and never saw a picture or anything of his son, so you can understand my doubt in this story.  I'm not saying that if the parents are not athletic that the child has no shot of being athletic, but this guy couldn't even walk across the road without getting tired.  But that's neither here nor there.  The story he told was that his 12 year old son hit a baseball 450 ft and broke an aluminum bat while doing so.  Are you kidding me?  Major league baseball players rarely hit it 450 ft, and this guy wants me to believe that his 12 year old son did it.  I don't think anyone is buying what this guy was trying to sell. 

I have had people tell me that they think their child said their name at 5 months of age.  5 months, really don't think this is even possible.  When telling this story do they think that people believe this child is the most gifted child ever born?  Maybe the child had just started making noises is what they meant to say and something was might have sounded like their name.  But even at that we are grasping for straws.  

I had a friend growing up that I played tennis with and his mom for some reason thought he was nationally ranked and had sponsors that would send him rackets and clothes.  Well first things first he wasn't nationally ranked, and the only sponsor he had getting him clothes and rackets was his mom.  I wasn't even close to being nationally and this guy couldn't even beat me.  He was a good player but don't go trying to impress everyone by bold face lying.  

The last of these great my child is better then your child stories may very well be the best.  Again another guy I worked with who again will remain nameless says his child could eat solid at 6 months of age.  Is this even possible, I don't think it is.  Why would you even think that anyone would even care that their child was doing this and did he really think we were buying it?  I have no clue where people come up with this stuff. 

I am a huge fan of parents who are proud of their children.  I'm sure once Landri starts doing stuff other then just rolling around and waving her arms I will love to tell everyone about how great she is.  But my goal in life is to in no way blow her accomplishments out of proportion.  I think that a parent should be a child's number one fan but don't lie about what they are doing.  People aren't stupid, they no when you're lying so stop fooling yourself.   If you feel the need to make stuff up about your kid to impress everyone just sit down for just one second and think about your lie before you start it.  Just think to yourself, would I believe this lie coming from someone else?  If you pass this test then proceed in your lie that your kid won't be able to live up to.