Swatting Flies

When my sons began studying viola and cello at school, I tagged along. I enjoyed tuning the instruments, adding rosin to bows, and especially playing along on the school piano. There was a D.A.R.E. officer there who was learning to play the violin. We were chatting one morning when he casually mentioned that a boy my kids had known for years had become what the police call a “frequent flyer.” This child had come from a good family. He’d struck me as polite and respectful; even sweet. And yet at age 12 he was regularly in trouble with the law. I asked the officer what he’d recommend I do to ensure my boys never follow that pattern. “Family dinner,” he said. “Have it every night at the same time, and insist that everyone be there.” It takes a bit of planning and effort, but twenty years later the results still speak for themselves.