You Can't Teach Boy

My baby boy, Boone, is 18 months old. He is expressive, strong willed and obsessed with balls of all types and size: footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, tennis balls. His fascination has become borderline obsessive. Given my athletic tendencies (I was a great high school athlete..) I have hoped that my son would be athletic. There is nothing wrong with a brainiac kid or a kid who would rather play the tuba than kick a ball but I have maintained the dream that my kid would be able to be/do those things and be highly coordinated with a competitive strike that would enhance his field performance. Just saying. And to take it a bit further, I have hoped he will be inclined to play baseball, golf, track, basketball, soccer- anything but football. I do not want my baby at the bottom of some pile of big ol’ boys or have his helmet crash into an over-amped wanna be hero. It is a wonder I can even sleep at night worrying about such things.


Anyway, back to balls; the college football season has begun. My husband’s mood has lifted considerably and despite the 100 degree temperatures you know Fall is just around the corner. (insert prayers here that Fall will bring 80 degree temperatures and a little rain) Last night Wisconsin played UNLV. The game was on in the living room and I walked in to find both the males in my family enjoying the game. Each time the ball was run baby boy would yell and clap and carry on. Hunt turned the channel and Boone cried. The moment I learned that you can’t teach “boy” was when I had to turn the TV in the kitchen from the Wonder Pets to the football game to get him to sit down and eat. He is 18months old! You cannot teach “boy” to an 18 month year old, they have it or they don’t. It looks like I got my wish and it is going to be a long college football season.