Parenting is filled with choices. It seems that everyday brings a new decision, some big and some small. While I am not convinced that any of these decisions, independently, are earth-shattering. They do, as a whole, shape who we are as parents, and what kind of an upbringing our child will have. I believe this is true even at the very young age at which Ewan is right now.

As a classroom teacher, it was always said that the first few weeks were the most important. This is when you established the tone and routines for the classroom. Many educators believe that if the teacher doesn’t do well during those first few weeks to create a good learning environment and establish good behavior management, it will be difficult to recover during the remainder of the year. While hope need not be lost if those first few weeks don’t go well, the teacher will have to work much harder over the course of the school year to make up for the bad start.

I believe the same is true of parenting. It is in the first few months that we establish what kind of parents we are going to be and what kind of relationship we are going to have with our son. As with teaching, I don’t believe that there is a tipping point. Nor do I believe that things are not malleable, open to change and evolution as a family and child changes and evolves. However, just like in the classroom, I do think it is in the early weeks and months that we make the choices that makes the most impact, that establishes the tone, and lays the groundwork for the years to come.

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