“BEATLES MUSIC!!” he cried loudly from the back seat.

No, I’m not talking about a one-time teenybopper on his way to a concert at Shea Stadium in New York. I’m talking about my 2-year-old son on a recent car ride home, and his newfound musical obsessions. I have to say, I’m becoming more pleased with his tiny hipster sensibilities.

He can move to A Hard Day’s Night quite nicely. And if there ever was a boy band I’d endorse, the Beatles would be a fine choice. Jamie’s even got the haircut to feign solidarity. Right now he just likes to move to the beat. Soon enough I’ll introduce him to the think pieces on Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Pepper’s.

I’ve already written about the input I intended to have on my son – the kind of idealized stuff most first time parents likely feel, and then it all goes out the window by 2. For instance, a little piece of me died when I realized he could point out SpongeBob. Then you realize you just have to let it g…uhm nevermind.

Eventually you start to see the victories take root and they make you smile. He starts to show interests in your interests, and it creates moments that just make you smile.

Sure, I’ve got the soundtrack to Frozen, Mickey Mouse Club House, and every other cartoon to contend with, but that’s a challenge I can accept. I’m willing to sprinkle culture over the top.

A few weeks ago I came across the Onion article Cool Dad Raising Daughter on Media that will Put Her Entirely Out of Touch With Her Generation. I laughed because the story featured a dad giving his daughter a Talking Heads album – one of the first bands that Jamie started dancing to (He’s a big fan of Take Me to the River). When I saw him bouncing to a Talking Heads song being played as exit music for a news show I was watching, I realized there was a foundation I could work with.

I would love if my son learned how to play an instrument when he’s older, but for now I just want to introduce him to as much new music, movies and books as possible, to lay the foundation for cultural literacy. Maybe next up we can trade episodes of Mickey Mouse Club House for the Prisoner, or Silverstein for Camus. I’ll leave it up to you to determine whether I’m joking.

One piece of parenting advice I remember receiving is to raise the type of person you’d want to grab a beer with when he’s older. Maybe I’m starting that process about 19 years early. But I do want to encourage him to find the things that interest him in life.

Let’s face it, every 2-year-old needs the kind of friend who would smack some sense into them if they ever decided Paul was their favorite Beatle, right? And every toddler needs the kind of friend who would introduce them to Love Supreme or Kind of Blue to get them interested in jazz? You mean toddlers don’t need to understand the merits of existentialist thinking?

Right now, I’m just raising the kind of kid I love to hang out with. The rest will come.

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