Someone Is Always Watching

So - while I was down in the States last week I had the opportunity to observe firsthand parents and their kids together in a variety of different situations/locations - theme parks, restaurants, malls, and so on. And in that time, something I already knew became that much more apparent: children are a direct reflection of the people who raise them.

Oh, I know, there are always exceptions to the rule - the kid from a rough family that goes to school and becomes a lawyer or doctor, or the one from a white-collar family with loving parents that goes sideways down the wrong path. But as a whole, we directly influence how the next generation turns out - and this has never been more obvious than physically. To put it simply - overweight parents had overweight kids, and fit parents had fit kids. Which makes sense, really - when a child's brought up in an environment of activity and relatively good eating habits by parents who do the same, then they basically have to go against the grain in order to turn out otherwise.

I suppose the biggest thing that shocked me when looking at this front-and-center was not the similarities from parent to child, but rather that the parent would allow this to happen. If you looked down at your offspring, and saw that they were heading for the same 10-20-30 (and so on) pounds overweight that you are already at, and possibly doing it faster, isn't that enough to get you out of your selfish and egocentric position to actually start making changes?

Based on what I saw - apparently not.

So - this was written to be directed at those same people, and it's a polite request: please, if you have children or are responsible for them, remember that you're a role model. Remember that there's someone (a very impressionable someone) watching you, and basing their actions on what they see you do. If you smoke, it must be alright. If you drink, it must be alright. If you are obese... well, it must be alright.

Yes, parenthood is a heavy burden, but it is also an amazing and wonderful amount of power that's been placed in your hands. Just don't forget the immortal words of Peter Parker's uncle, Ben:

"With great power, comes great responsibility."

Now - put that power to positive use, and help to create a future that's worth living.

~Guy