How does a baby go from screaming at the top of their lungs for supper to singing their hearts out for the adoration of millions? Millions will offer you a million different explanations, but I think the chief thing you have to keep in mind is the heart behind it, particularly the heart of that child's main supporter.

Whether it is Mom, Dad, Big Sis, Gramps or whoever, that child is going to need someone who is going to give them the straight story. Faith can move a mountain, but that faith needs a jumping off place, and as much as a child needs to be spurred on, the key is COMPLETE honesty. It's great to love your child and want to fully support them, never giving them the slightest reason to doubt your faith in their abilities, but how does it serve your child if you never give them the opportunity to know when they aren't quite on the right track?

If you've seen American Idol, you've seen some rather good singers, but, more often, you've also seen a lot of people that, for want of a better way to say this, just don't have what it takes. The truly sad part is when these same young people storm out of the audition room, bad-mouthing the judges and saying that Paula, Randy, and Simon, veritable icons in the music industry, have no idea what they are talking about. Many of these aspiring performers humiliated themselves on international television because one or more people in their lives couldn't or wouldn't be honest with them. You don't have to tell them they are terrible but you can say, "Hey, you've got this dream, better do it right. Let's find you some voice lessons". Once in the hands of a thoroughly researched, caring professional, they will have at their disposal the tools to improve their abilities or the atmosphere in which to become sober about their talent. As their parent, when do you want them to face the truth? In a nurturing environment or at when it is at their expense?

American Idol has struck a chord in young people everywhere. Even non-singers cannot help but wonder, "What if it was me?" True singers are in an even more precarious situation because with talent comes pressure and the looming question, "What if it's not me?" The finalists who are voted off each week know the answer all too well. What about your child? Are they prepared for this kind of challenge? What have you tried to impart to them in regard to life and what is truly important?

My hope is that rather than seeing their talent as a means to an end, your children see it as an incredible expression of their joy, a chance to live fully at the highest expression of who they are. After all, who catches your eye? Isn't it the laughing child, the bubbly teenager, and the excited hockey fan? Why are we drawn to a show like American Idol at all? Don't we vote for the ones who have that special kind of spark? The early episodes aside, watching the finalists gives us a chance to see people reach higher than they've ever done before. As nervous as they are, the finalists are giving it all they've got, and, in doing so give us a chance to see that it is possible for someone to obtain their most precious dreams.

Some may comment that a show like American Idol is merely a vehicle for rich people to get even richer at the expense of unsuspecting, desperate artists. However, a dear friend, and mother of two young girls, recently summed up a growing sentiment among Moms all over. She believes that "It's a GREAT show...it has variety, and the songs that are sung are songs I'm not worried for my children to listen to. It is a show the whole family enjoys, and it's something we can all talk about".

The simple fact is that for far too long the entertainment industry has been stuck in the mindset that "sex sells". That may be the deal closer for some, but from "NYPD Blue" to even "Everybody loves Raymond", the subject of sex permeates so much of our media experience, it is so incredibly refreshing to find a show that inspires us to sit down with our children, enjoy it together, and have wonderful conversations afterward about the possibilities in life, as opposed to wallowing in supposed limitations.

So, how do you raise an American Idol? Don't make them wait until they're been tossed into the arena to know who they are. Be honest with them (as tactfully as possible), knowing that that will help them get on the right track. And, once they've got their sights set properly, be the rock they can build their confidence upon. With that confidence, they'll find their joy. With that joy, they'll unleash that spark. And, with that spark...who knows? You just might have yourself the next American Idol.