Exposed

Exposure is HUGE! Not to the point of being over-committed or for the sake of being pretentious, but to establish a broad perspective. If you're only familiar with what's inside your box, that's all you'll feel comfortable with. That's all you'll strive to have. As a child, I was exposed to a variety of experiences and always made to feel that nothing was beyond reach. For eight years, I played the violin. I tasted caviar for the first time at a recital reception. When we took annual vacations, we visited as many historical landmarks as "fun"attractions. Of course, there are tons of things that I haven't done and places that I haven't been, but I'm thankful for exposure. Those experiences, in part, shaped my decision to become a stay at home mom: Nothing is beyond reach.

I try very hard to create the same type of experiences for my children. It's important for them to know how to conduct themselves and order from the menu in an upscale restaurant. At 9 and 7, they know the protocol for traveling on an airplane. When I overheard them say that only rich people rode in limousines, I had the hubby arrange to have one transport us from the airport to hotel on our next vacation. They were dumbfounded! We then explained that you don't have to be rich, you just call a car service. For the same cost of a cab ride, the boys were exposed to something new.

My hope is that providing them with a variety of experiences will help them become capable, confident and ambitious young men. The sky is the limit!