Proper education

Kids learn from everything their parents say and do, this is just a fact of life.  The problem is that having kids doesn't suddenly make one a better person.  A slob doesn't suddenly become Martha Stewart after the birth of their child, and someone who thinks forks are a table decoration does not suddenly become miss manners when their little princess is borne.  This means that an asshat is probably going to raise little asshats of his own, and if you see some 5 year old singing the latest drivel from Brittany Spears, odds are their parents have no taste in music, and this is what they hear in the car on the way to school.

This is way I make sure to introduce my kids to classic rock as early as possible.  They are going to pick up my potty mouth, my hatred for mornings, (except for Curly Sue, she loves mornings, the earlier the better for her), and many of my other shortcomings.  The least I could do is give them a basis for distinguishing quality music, especially in a country that has no true rock stations, and mostly just puts the top 40 on replay, thank G-D for IPods and Internet radio.  And this why Little Red falls asleep most peacefully with the Allman Brothers or Lynyrd Skynyrd in the background.  

Education starts at home, hopefully, in the case of music appreciation, it ends there as well.