# Parents: Your Kids Really Are Listening! Letter from Iraq

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-your-kids-really-are-listening-letter-from-iraq/422767>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 15, 2007, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-your-kids-really-are-listening-letter-from-iraq/422767 "2007-10-15T07:34:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-your-kids-really-are-listening-letter-from-iraq/422767/1 "2007-10-15T07:34:06Z")

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Our oldest son wrote this letter from his station in Iraq. I’d like to share some of it because it helped us see that sometimes, even when we don’t think our kids are listening to us, they are. It’s good to see him realizing some things, even though the price he is paying for it is great.

Preface: He is a newlywed, and his wife lives with us. He alludes to some things which we have helped her work out since she’s been here. Also: his birth mom he refers to as Mama (she passed a few years back ☹ ), I’m Mama J.

> [@Son](#):
>
> What up Pops? How’s it goin’? Here, well I guess it’s goin as good as it can get for being in H\*LL on earth! \<snip\> I didn’t call or write you because I was trying to fix it. \<snip\> I thought that I was going to dissapoint you and let the family and mostly you down again \<snip\> I was not becoming the man you, Mama, and Mama J raised \<snip\>. I love you and I thank you for all that you have done for me and my wife, family is one of the most important things in this world to me. Thank you for teaching me what you know. I am sorry I didn’t listen to you all the time, but thank you for being patient with me \<snip\>. I guess what I am trying to say is thank you for being there when I fell and you picked me up and you helped me start over \<snip\>. Thank you for putting some very good tools in my toolbox and I will use them from now on. I can only hope that one day I am half as good of a man as you are. I love you Pops, talk to you later.

This letter helped Hubby understand a _lot_ about our kids, and the thing that happens sometimes . . where, when you least expect it, they _come on_ and surprise you. 🙂