Plausible Deniability

Old Wahoo likes to think he's an enlightened dad, a new age kind of father who drops his kids off at school, packs their lunch (every once in a while, anyways) and changes diapers. But let's face it: like any good man (or at least any successful college football coach or U.S. President), Old Wahoo operates under the guise of plausible deniability. I think I know and I should know and maybe I even do know, but no one really knows.

Sounds confusing, right? But it's perfect. If Mrs. Wahoo says she will donate toilet paper for the second-grade Halloween party, I nod my head yes and immediately file it in my mind's vertical file. But when Mrs. Wahoo comes down with a semi-deathly illness, then Old Wahoo actually has to act, which no one wants (least of all me). So now I have to buy toilet paper (so the kids can pretend to be mummies, wink, wink - like they're not T.P.'ing some teacher's lawn) and actually deliver it to school. Handling one of those tasks drains all of my resources, but both, that's tough.

With plausible deniability, I successfully can shrug off at least one of the tasks. Toilet paper? Sure, whatever you want. I'll just drop it off after you pick it up. And with laundry, plausible deniability becomes an even greater asset. Yes, I guess I did put the 2-year-old's pants in the second-grader's drawer, but, I mean, hey, I actually folded the laundry, didn't I? And I made an attempt to put it in the right place, right?

Anyway, there's only one thing that can save me: the quick return to health of Mrs. Wahoo.

Please get well soon.

Words of the Week

History matters.

"I'm not one who sees history repeating itself, but I think a lot of attitudes do."

- Kelly DeVries, professor of history at Loyola College in Maryland

No Shout-Out for Shouting

An article in this week's The New York Times stated that "shouting is the new spanking," and the story cites a study that says 88 percent of 991 families surveyed "acknowledged shouting, screaming or yelling at the kids at least once ... in the previous year." I think the other 12 percent of the families are either lying or in need of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Infotainment

Old Wahoo and the boys watched the UVa-Maryland game last weekend, and while all were satisfied with the outcome (20-9 Wahoos), the boys loved the commercials even more.

Rob and Alex cannot get enough infomercials. On Saturday, they were enthralled by an advertisement for a riding leaf mower (unfortunately, I cannot remember the name; if somebody was watching the game and remembers, please send me a note). The commercial, of course, touts the time-saving aspects of the mower, and the boys ate it up, so much so that Rob uttered this gem: "Dad, aren't you tired of wasting your weekends on yard work?" When I told him I actually liked yard work and said that I expect him to help out more when he gets older, he was most displeased. He'll probably try talk me into purchasing the Leaf Taco.

ESPNU also offered this gem for the Perfect Brownie. By the way, the boys' all-time favorite is the Shark Steam Mop. They still don't understand why we haven't bought it yet.

Words of the Week

David Rohde's account of his time held by the Taliban is a must read in this week's New York Times.

I thought of my wife and family and was overcome with shame. An interview that seemed crucial hours earlier now seemed absurd and reckless.

- David Rohde, "Held by the Taliban," Part One

Will You Be "Where the Wild Things Are"?

"Where the Wild Things Are," based on the children's book by Maurice Sendak, opens this weekend, and, according to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has received mostly favorable reviews. "Wild Things" has seemed to generate polarizing opinions - some have loved it, while others have hated it.

Judging by the trailer (though maybe just as you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you shouldn't judge a movie by its trailer), the movie looks stunning. In fact, the trailer makes me want to see the movie, since I was not a huge fan of the book (which sounds blasphemous, I know).

To me, though, there's a bigger question: Will kids get it, or will it resonate more with adults?

Are Dads Stepping Up?

Child and family psychologist Richard Weissbourd contributed an essay to NPR this week in which he challenged fathers to take on more responsibility. The gist of his opinion is hard to argue: Dads should take on more and should get more involved in their children's lives. But I believe he overgeneralizes, and I have rarely (if ever) encountered indifference from teachers or rude looks from other moms from invading their "sphere of influence." (I also think this short-changes fathers from older generations, who contributed in different yet still important ways.)

The comments at the end of the essay also are thought-provoking. One person posted:

There is a traditional mindset that institutions still cling to which says, in effect, Dad's occupy this space and Mom's occupy other roles. Might be about time we broke down that old fashioned group gender bias.

In his book "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell suggests that culture shapes who we are. I think culture shapes how fathers behave, though I think that the culture in the United States is changing. Though this is purely anecdotal evidence, I think more and more dads are dropping off and picking up their kids at our school. Does it signal a change in attitudes? Does it show that more moms are working? Does it reflect the changing economy? Maybe it's a bit of everything.

What do you think? Is there a gender bias? How much does our culture hold back fathers? Or is it all a bunch of mumbo-jumbo?

Blog Action Day '09: Climate Change

Old Wahoo is proud to take part in Blog Action Day '09: Climate Change. I don't plan on preaching about global warming because I figure most people can decide for themselves, but I am proud that my sons already feel motivated to help the environment.

Rob and Alex both help recycle at home, and both have loved the Earth Day programs put on by LocalMotion at Grosse Pointe Woods. They even get preachy about the environment, lecturing anyone who will listen about the importance of recycling and keeping the planet clean. They have even inspired me to do more (such as insulating the hot water heater), though there is much more that can be done. (And much is easy, such as turning off all the lights and appliances when leaving the house).

Thanks in part to Rob and Alex, I'm optimistic for the future. (After all, the End of the World has been proclaimed by Nostradamus many times.) Seriously, though, there is hope. I believe that the younger generations are taking the challenge of climate change with urgency (check out the Web site Kids vs. Global Warming).

More important than hope, there is action. If we all do more, we can make a difference. The future depends on it.

Communication Breakdown

Every day, the Moose develops his communication skills, and his vocabulary grows in leaps and bounds. He still has trouble pronouncing some words and even more trouble saying exactly what he means.

For example, when he plays with a toy and I tell him it is time to go, the Moose responds, "Watchthis! Watchthis! Watchthis!" Of course, he does not care if I watch him play; he merely is warning me not to pick him up and put him in the van, or he will screech, kick off his shoes and throw his toys across the room.

The terrible twos are good times.

Words of the Week

Old Wahoo recommends "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell.

"... No one - not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses - ever makes it alone."

- Malcolm Gladwell, "Outliers"

Origin of the Species

Rob offered up a unique view of religion and evolution that would have made Darwin roll over in his grave but made Old Wahoo and Mrs. Wahoo laugh.

"Dad, I think God created the dinosaurs, and then God created the animals," the second-grader said, his hands gesturing and with an earnest look in his eyes. "Then the animals got together and birthed some humans."

Hey, he likes science (and Sunday school). Those are good things.

The Optimism of Youth

Unsurprisingly, Alex felt a bit let down when he heard the Tigers lost their bid for the AL Central Division championship on Tuesday night. But he shook it off quickly. "That's OK. They'll make the playoffs next year," he said. "They have to."

Alex doesn't know (and doesn't care) that the Tigers have Magglio Ordonez on the books next year for $18 million; or Carlos Guillen (and his balking body) through 2011; or Nate Robertson for another year; or Jeremy Bonderman (and his injuries for another year). Clearly, the Tigers have little flexibility and their chances of making another strong showing will prove tough.

But Alex doesn't care. He believes.

Maybe he should write a book. Of course, I think someone already beat him to it.

Colbert's Word on Education

Stephen Colbert and a fifth-grader give their take on Obama's education reforms. It's pretty hilarious.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Learning Is Fundamental
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Michael Moore

He Asks The Right Questions

Old Wahoo made the mistake of listening to sports radio today - one of my major character flaws - and the topic, of course, centered on the recent Miguel Cabrera controversy.

This prompted a flurry of fascinating questions and statements from Alex, much to my chagrin at first. But by the end he had me wishing I could see the world as a 5-year-old.

"Will Miguel Cabrera be arrested, Dad?"

"Will he go to jail, Dad?"

"Do people who go to jail stay there forever?"

"Do they want people who go to jail to die?"

"Then why do police need guns?"

"Then why do they need protection?"

"Then I think they should just carry axes and chop off the front of the guns so no one can use them."

Alex's questions raised more questions for me, and he certainly had better questions than I had answers.

Why do we assume problems are so complex? Why don't we solve more problems (or at least approach them) with the attitude of a 5-year-old? And why do I listen to sports radio?

More Education

Michael Smerconish wrote an interesting piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer about President Obama's desire for longer school days and years. Other than the image of the Rev. Al Sharpton and Newt Gingrich working together - following those two guys would make for the ultimate reality show - Smerconish echoed the thoughts of many of you to Old Wahoo's earlier post on the possibility of a longer school year.

Though he sees merit in some of the idea behind a longer school day, Smerconish points out that his 13-year-old son already has plenty on his plate at school - on the bus by 7, beginning school at 8, cross-country meet in the afternoon and home at 4:45 p.m. That's almost a 10-hour day.

While Smerconish admits that not all children in America are afforded the same opportunities as his son, he suggests that there are different problems that face American education - ones that won't be solved merely by lengthening the school day and year. Efficiency and after-school pursuits (i.e. too much TV and video games) are bigger issues.

"We probably don't use our time in school as efficiently as some countries, so we're not as focused strictly on academic matters. We do a lot of other things in schools that other countries don't do," (the Brooking Institute's Tom) Loveless told me. Foreign overachievers, meanwhile, also dedicate more time outside the classroom to what Loveless called "academic pursuits."

Words of the Week

Children should be heard, just like everyone else.

"It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen."

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Boys to Men

The Art of Manliness recently re-ran an old essay (written in 1907!) entitled "A Manly Boy," which appeared in Draper's Self Culture. Though the essay was written more than 100 years ago, much of the advice continues to ring true.

He can treat his parents with respect, follow their advice, and act in such a manner that they feel they can trust him to do right when he is out of their sight. They know that he is anxious to win their praise, and that he values their esteem.

It's worth a read.