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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

The boys and I bought Hubby the first season of MacGyver for Christmas. It’s something everyone can enjoy with action and cool science-y solutions to save the day and all that. So tonight we sat down to watch an early episode that involved MacGyver stealing stolen diamonds from a bad guy who owned a casino. Naturally gambling was shown….the craps table, roulette wheel, blackjack, and slot machines. I didn’t give it a second thought.

It was an exciting episode (with some really horrible acting, btw) and a great stunt that required driving a convertible out of the back of a cargo jet with a homemade parachute. That MacGyver always was a handy guy.

Immediately after the show Hubby launched the bedtime routine. I showed up for prayers and The Manager asked me to see his new game. He was fantastically excited and had me watch him roll three small plastic figures just like the dice on the craps table.

The reference to gambling wasn’t my favorite but I’m not really all that freaked out by it. What did surprise me was how quickly he adopted a new behavior as “cool” and his own. That ever happen to you?

It was a good opportunity to explain what gambling is and how people can get addicted. All of the boys listened closely and seemed to understand what we were saying. Funny how those little teachable moments pop up when you least expect them.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want to take advantage of teachable moments.