Still Parenting Issues 

Just the other day a friend of mine said to me, "You mean that even when you are divorced, you still have to parent the other parent?" 

I said yes, sometimes you do.  The conversation stemmed over my youngest son selecting an instrument.  Normally I am the one that handles all of those kinds of things.  I take the kids to doctors, dentists, tryouts, and swimming practice.

However, last week I was out of town and my son needed to select a band instrument at band night.  I carefully tried not to say anything to him about what I thought he should select.  Then I left a message with my ex, explaining to him that if we want our son to commit and become passionate about an instrument, then we really must say nothing.  Otherwise he would select based on something we had said. 

So I came home to a beaming little boy, with his alto sax.  (His dad played it in school).  I was ready to be fuming............but when I asked my son if Dad said anything.  He said, nope, not a word.  But that he'd seen a man playing one at church, and ever since then he'd wanted to learn to play one himself. 

So, yes, I parented the other parent.  It happens sometimes, just like when you are married.  And sometimes things just happen because maybe something like the interesting sound of a sax is just bred into our genes.