My Son, the Country Music Singer

I’m pretty sure I don’t always make the right parenting decisions. I don’t follow all the latest parenting trends; I don’t subscribe to all the things the experts say you should do (or not do).  I, like other parents, don’t really know if the things I let (or don’t let) my kids do today will scar them in the future or set them up for great things.  So I do the best I can and just go with my gut.

We like country music in my house.  A lot. Weekend mornings mean country music videos; car rides mean Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton from my iPod on repeat.  And so while some kids go around the house singing children’s songs, mine grabs his guitar and sings a country song. And so my three-year-old sings about big trucks and pretty girls and beer. He sings about rednecks and Joe Diffy and mud.  And I think that’s okay.  Because while on the surface it can seem a little mature for his little self, I also think that he’s building a love for music that will probably last his lifetime.

Brogan singing Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night”

When he hears a song, he immediately wants to know who sings it and what it’s called.  He then wants to know why.  Gotta love the “whys”.  Oh, and don’t lie to him about the title either – he’ll figure it out.  One of the songs on Luke Bryan’s new album is called “Beer in the Headlights” and while it’s one thing if he’s singing the word beer in the middle of a verse, going around and saying he wants to hear “Beer in the Headlights” was something I was trying to avoid.  So I told him the song was called “Deer in the Headlights”. I thought I was pretty clever.  But after hearing the song a couple of times, he caught on. “Mommy, that song is not called deer in the headlights, it’s called beer in the headlights. You were wrong!” Well crap.  After a couple of notes, Brogan can name, title and artist, about 75% of the songs on the radio right now.  He has even picked up on some distinct voices and can identify a new song from The Band Perry, Taylor Swift or Luke Bryan. It’s quite impressive.  He’s become obsessed with guitars and microphones and I think he thinks he will be a country star one day (and by country star, one of those guys in the music videos).

And who knows what he’ll be one day.  He’s three.  In addition to being a rock star, he also wants to drive heavy equipment.  So who knows.  I’ll support him regardless. If his love for music continues, I can only hope that his singing voice is better than mine – a lot better. And I also hope that if he does inherit my singing voice that I’ll figure out a way to let him down gently before he goes to American Idol where he’s made the awful audition reel and I look shocked like I didn’t know my kid couldn’t sing. But I digress.

So it may be unorthodox, but it’s not all bad.  So he may sing about some things that raise an eyebrow or two. That’s okay.  And this may be the beginning of a music-filled life. That’s okay too.  Regardless, for me, it sure beats the Barney songs.