That's All It Takes?

Lots of experts will tell you that trying to impress or befriend your children should take a backseat to consistent authoritative parenting. Lots of experts are way more secure in their adulthood and authority than I am. Lots of experts have never lived with a bunch of teenage boys who, for days on end, will mock literally everything you do.

Whether or not you think impressing your children (especially those tough customers--the teenagers) is a worthy goal, you may someday find yourself delighted to have (even accidentally) made them laugh sincerely or better yet, to have stunned them out of mock-mode with your knowledge of (to them) incredibly obscure pop culture.

One of my boys' friends, G, is obsessed--insanely, hard-core, totally obsessed--with Dr. Pepper. He drinks gallons a day and has T-shirts and a can collection--truly, truly obsessed. Recently, he found the "I'm A Pepper" commercial (from the '70s) on the Internet and was sharing it with one or more of my sons over the phone and online.

Over at his house, his mom walked into the room and began singing along with the commercial.

He yelled, in a voice bordering on awe, "Dude! My mom knows this song!"

Dude, if all it takes is being able to sing along with commercials from the '70s, I'm set for life.