Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines...

I went to the Indianapolis 500 today for the first time. Unfortunately, as the non-custodial parent of my sons, I didn't have a chance to take them to the race. But even as my wife and I readied our coolers for the event full of ice, food, and yes--beer, I started to think about it a little bit--would it be a better thing to give the boys an experience of going to one of the "greatest spectacles in all of racing" or to wait until they were older to go to it where they would be a little bit more "understanding" of what goes on there?

Well, when I thought about it some more, I thought--would that last option even be responsible of me? I will tell you that after the race and seeing what I was told by veterans that it was mild, I can't say that I would feel good about ever TAKING the boys to the race, even if they were in junior high, even in high school. The amount of alcohol-induced behavior (I am no saint--I started just as early as everyone else but I certainly paced myself all day long) as well as inappropriate dress and all the other things--littering, language, you name it.

There are certain things that "can" be for youngsters and that they can understand, but I think it really puts things into a very awkward and sometimes problematic circumstance to either A) Expect for others around you and your children to suddenly act the way you think they should act and B) Putting yourself and your kids into those situations when they don't and how to get a positive experience from such. To me, it's kind of like taking kids to Vegas--it may seem like a good idea until you actually get there and see it for what it can be...which is definitely not kid-friendly.

I had a good time, and I missed the kids. But I also knew that for what the situation was, it was probably for the best.

TAGS: Dads, Fatherhood, Indianapolis 500, Memorial Day Weekend, Parental Responsibilities, Parenting, Parenting Advice, Parenting Styles, Parents, Racing, Raising Children
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