Good Parents Raise Children to Be Winners (The Baby Expo)

My wife Karen and I ended up at a Baby Expo when my son was still very young. I don't remember how old he was, but I do remember he was an expert crawler--sometimes a stumbling, bumbling, rambling, four-step walker. So whatever age that is--he was. (Though I am SURE it was before MOST children do the stumbling, bumbling thing :)

After paying $6 each to get in, we had $50 to "splurge" with. We heard from the radio commercials that we could find deals and be eligible for prizes!

We realized we were in the wrong place pretty quickly. Picture the three of us in t-shirts and jeans, hobnobbing with a whole bunch of shiny, happy, WHITE yuppy families all adorned in Polo(down to the Polo pacifier). We were under-dressed and under-financed, in short--under-successorized.

As the Polo people excitedly made selections and purchases, we were in a cold sweat, checking prices on everything...cadillac stroller with side-impact airbags ($800), baby Nikes ($30), and OshKosh B'gosh outfits ($70+). (Well we can buy the Nikes!)

We came upon a large, boisterous crowd, and an announcer from a local radio station maniacally announcing an event of some kind. As we drew closer, we saw it. A complete setup for something they called Baby Olympics. Loud cheering and yelling parents all crowded around their little gladiators, I mean competitors. I was caught up in the madness.

The next thing I know, I am plunking Michael down at the starting line of a crawling competition. And I am right there like all the other dads, yelling "encouragement" (friend, some of those adults were downright SCARY!)

About halfway through the race, I looked around and got a whole new perspective (it was when Michael, my "expert crawler" started losing the race probably :) The adults were out of control, cheering on their little Polo babies, in the midst of a place with the overpriced best of everything--seeing who's kid was the best too.

Some would say it was all about the kids...but some of the kids in the race were crying and scared from all the noise and craziness. And none of them cared about the designer baby clothes or the pricey toys. Certainly not about the air-bagged stroller.

The "Baby" Expo had nothing to do with the babies--it had everything to do with the adults.
It was about image.
It was about dressing up and showing off.
It was about success (spelled $$$$$$$).
It was about raising a "winner."

By now, Michael had a secure lock on last place. At some point he'd lost interest in the race, had pulled off his Wal-Mart shoes and socks, and was laying on his back and spinning himself in circles on the floor he'd discovered was very slick. He was happy--amazingly--EVEN while wearing a K-Mart t-shirt and jeans.

As we walked out of the convention hall, the over-excited radio announcer boomed, "Last chance to enter your child in the Baby Beauty Contest!"

We walked faster...

In COMMENTS below, write about your concerns over parents who project their drive to win and for prestige onto their kids.

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