Warning Labels

I learned from this post at the New York Times about labels you can put on your kids (real labels, not metaphorical ones). At the time I teased Barnacle Boy about them, wondering if he would feel more secure if he had a temporary tattoo with my contact information on it. (For the record, he does have a sheet of emergency information in his wallet and an ICE entry in his cell phone.) "Uh, absolutely not, Mom..."

I did wonder if I should order the ones for peanut allergy, saving me from having an awkward conversation with casual dining partners. Would anyone think to look at the inside of my wrist if I did keel over at dinner?

This morning I began to suspect I should have ordered a custom set for the Boy. Today is his first day of high school. No, I'm not worried he'll get lost and forget his phone number. It's his unsuspecting teachers I'm concerned about.

For reasons I can't recall at the moment (honestly, I'm not really awake before I've had my tea) this morning in the kitchen, Math Man was trying to surface the term for fear of open spaces. I tossed him a one word assist, "agoraphobia". The Boy was at the counter making his morning mango smoothie and threw in for good measure, "from agora, the large open marketplace in Rome". Math Man was rendered speechless. I wonder if his Latin teacher will know what hit her? Should I send in a note that says, "Just FYI this kid has a geeky sense of humor and a mind like a steel trap when it comes to trivia...?? Or apply a warning label?

I'll admit, if past history is any predictor, his teachers will have no trouble appreciating his particular sense of humor. Most have been pretty geeky themselves...

And while I get the utility of having contact information on your very young kid, there is something about the "tats" that bothers me....I just can't quite put my finger on it.