and the "duh!" award goes to.....

The following is a portion of an article posted by the AP yesterday:

Kids May Mimic Parents' Smoking, Drinking
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer
September 6, 2005, 7:55 AM EDT

CHICAGO -- Preschoolers pretending to shop for a Barbie doll's social evening were more likely to choose cigarettes if their parents smoked, and wine or beer if their parents drank, a study found.

Researchers observing the children's play found that the ones who watched PG-13 or R-rated movies also were more likely to choose alcohol for Barbie.

A 4-year-old girl chose Barbie-sized tobacco in the pretend store and said: "I need this for my man. A man needs cigarettes." A 6-year-old boy offered the doll cigarettes and said: "Honey, have some smokes. Do you like smokes? I like smokes."

Parents who watched from behind a one-way mirror were surprised by their children's choices, said study co-author Madeline Dalton of Dartmouth Medical School. "It's a very humbling experience to be a parent and see your children mimic your behaviors," she said.

The study suggests that prevention efforts should target younger children, Dalton said. It was published Monday in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Wait, I'm confused. You mean to tell me that children will actually imitate what their parents do? I've been a parent for over 15 years now, and I had no idea. Why wasn't this study done years ago so that I would have known about this BEFORE I became a parent? I know, it's the government's fault.....

To call this new information is absurd. Just spend one evening with our family around the dinner table and you'll observe learned behavior within 5 minutes after the prayer. Just be careful when anyone leans to one side.....they're not picking up a fork they dropped, they're preparing for the symphony.....