Followers or Leaders?

Like all parents, we strive to make our children leaders instead of followers. We had a good life lesson yesterday.

LMT(12) and CT(10) are taking care of neighbor's dogs while they are out-of-town. We have a 9yo nephew visiting. Yesterday LMT and CT took him with them to do dog duty. They came home laughing hysterically. When I asked what was so funny, I was surprised at the answer. They were eating dog food.

Dog food! I remember that CT had this problem when he was a nine month old but I thought he had grown out of it. I was especially surprised that my 12 yo daughter ate it. I can see where a 9 or 10yo boy would think that eating dog food was funny.....but my daughter!??!

So I started asking questions. I know my kids well enough to know that they wouldn't have thought of doing that on their own. It was nephew's idea and they followed. When I questioned nephew, he said his brother had done it before and he didn't die. By this time Honey was in on the conversation and posed the question "If nephew licked the dog's bottom would you do it too?" It was starting to sink in. We told them it was not about eating the dog food, it was about following the foolishness of others.

I hope they got it. You never really know until next time. The thought occurred to me..."What if they were in public school? or Sunday School? Would they be the followers or leaders?" I think I would've said leaders before yesterday. Now I will say that I just don't know. Being a mom sure keeps me humble!!

Honey confessed to me in bed last night that he once ate a milkbone. I guess it runs in the family.