DADDY CLAY: You know a lot of your quality time happen here in the sweet sweet family minivan. So I’m leaning the breakfast dishes the other day and my son is helping me and looks over at me and said, “so dad what did you think of the Michael Phelps video?” I would have been less shocked if he clobbered me over the head with a skillet. An alarm is going in my head-hey parenting moment! parenting moment! You are the anti-drug! This is a significant moment, my ten year old is asking me about drugs. So I say, “yea weird.” That option wasn’t going to cut it, what a weak showing. So here he comes asking me a significant question I’m ready to bring my wisdom. And all I say is weird. All day I’m going to remedy the situation by sitting him down and talking about it. So I got the perfect venue, here. It’s the oldest trick in the book, you get them buckled in your rolling down the road, and they can’t escape. You sit them down and give them the drug talk. And the plan works perfectly because I have to take him to his basketball game. So we get in, and we get rolling and I realize I don’t have a freaking idea of what I’m going to say. I ask him, so what did you think of the Michael Phelps video? He said “you know dad, I’m just really glad it wasn’t steroids, because then he wouldn’t be able to swim in the next Olympics.” And that answer puzzled me, it threw me. I had to think about it quickly, because we were in the middle of a conversation. And I tried to sort through all the values that went into that response. It’s media it’s sports heroes and steroids. And pot verses steroids. About the time that I decide that well, pot is drugs, but steroids are drugs and cheating. Then he asks me, “hey dad what do you think about it?” And I didn’t have anytime to prepare, I didn’t have anytime to think what my response would be so I just answered honestly. I said, “you know son its kind of disappointing but I kind of get it. I sort of understand the guy’s whole life has been about disciple and training and has all this success and suddenly he has this freedom and he makes a bad choice.” People make bad choices, mom’s, dad’s, even if you’re the fastest swimmer on earth, you make bad decisions. Hopefully it’s a decision you can learn something from and you don’t make time and again. After that I said, “so do you know what pot is?” And he said no. The conversation got a little botanical for the moment, as I sort of described what pot is. Not that I know. And I said, its not really good for developing brains and its kind of like tobacco. It has all these chemicals in it and you don’t know what it is or where its from and you really don’t want to be putting that in your body. Fortinatly the did you inhale moment never happened. I guess I got to think about that now. I said, “you know sooner or later somebody is going to offer you some. Have you thought at all about what you might say?” His answer was satisfying and a little bit predictable. I said “in my experience if your polite and not super judgmental and just say no thanks people respect that pretty well. And the guy that’s pushing you, and saying come on come on, that guys an asshole, and to be avoided.” Finally we pulled up to the basketball game and he was out. I have never seen any kid get out of the car faster than that. In the end I have to say, Michael Phelps you helped me and my son have our first conversation about drugs. And it went pretty well. So as far as I’m concerned you and me, we’re good. And good luck in 2012. This show is called quality time, and that’s about all the time I have with you good people. Thanks again to all the folks at BABYBJORN for helping us roll today. Hey if you have an idea about how to have the first conversation with your kid about drugs, or this whole Michael Phelps thing. Go to dadlabs.com and let us know. I think it’s the best parenting forum site. Come check it out and let us know what you think.