"Excuse me..." Proud Dad Moment

Taking a moment and etching that feel good feeling of having someone approach me to say,

'Thank you for doing a great job with your son!"

Two days ago, Lil T and I where in a store, I was doing my usual bargain shopping (comparing other stores pricing) Lil T quickly got bored with how slow I was moving along so he walked off to do his own hands off, just look shopping. Finally!!!! I feel like he's old enough to do just that.. wonder off and browse on his own. Shaking my head because that has been a constant headache for his mom and I. From a tot to lower grade school'er it was an every shopping experience to have to tell him that it's a must he is to stay by our side! We've had that unpleasant experience in a Walmart when he was about three, where he decide to start his own game of 'Hide and Seek'. We had store employees doing a mad search through every aisle with no success, After repeated calling his name, he finally pops out from under a rack of clothes with a big grin on his face near the immediate location he got missing. Technically he was still by our side because he was next to us the entire time when we lost sight of him.. laughing my butt off now, but still Shaking my head, shaking my head to this day, thankful!

Back to my 'Proud Dad Moment'...

Well, while he was doing his thing, a lady that made her way to my aisle approached me to confirm if Lil T was my son and with a look of amazement she appreciatively thanked me for raising a well mannered son. It was out of the ordinary for her to have a child his age acknowledge her presence and use the words 'excuse me...' in passing while she shopped.

Personally I like to believe that it is more common than not that we as parents are raising our kids to be respectful of others, to be appreciative for the smallest acts of kindness. First, being the example and secondly, reinforcing it through conversations of why it's the right thing to do at all times.

It weighs heavy on me to be such a person and it is my daily mission as a father to my son to have him feel the same way. That is, being a person who is self conscious of others and to eliminate that selfish air about oneself to act like 'It's my world, you're just in it'.

After that incident, I couldn't wait to shake Lil T's hand and explain to him that his small act of being courteous is looked upon with great appreciation. And of course, staying true to my sense of humor... I jokingly followed up my explanation with "Yeah, you're my son, TODAY!" Seriously though, I lay claims 24/7 of being a father to a handsome young prince. Whether there's those not so proud moments to the grandest of moment. Why? because 99.9% of the time you will be able to see a reflection of yourself in the child you're raising so do right by your child by first being a positive reinforcement through your actions. They are watching your every move!

Proud Dad Moment!