Will the Beckhams Be Able to Give Their Children a Normal Life in America Despite Media Attention?

David Beckham, America's new "Wonder Boy" of soccer, and his wife, Victoria--the former Posh Spice, have already done a great deal to draw attention to themselves by the American media, and that of the rest of the free world. Their provocative, sexy poses made headlines everywhere. Perhaps their plan is to keep the attention on themselves, and off their children!

The more important question to ask is, "Will the Beckhams give their three young children a normal life?" Really, though, what is normal? I guess the answer to that question is as varied as are those who would answer it! The life my children had was certainly not "normal" to many of their friends. Through their high school years, we had family dinner most nights, even if it was just a delivered pizza. We planned our dinner time around our kids' activities because it was that important to us as a family to maintain that ritual.

We also didn't automatically give our children everything they wanted, even when we could have afforded to do so. Many of their friends had the latest, greatest everything and most of them never even had to earn the money for it. We wanted them to appreciate the value of a dollar and to understand that there is no such thing as entitlement in life, based on amount of money one earns. I doubt seriously that the Beckhams, or any other celebrity of their status and wealth are rearing their children with those values.

I don't believe the Beckhams are bad people, as I have never met them. Nor do I know one thing about either of them beyond what the media has reported lately. Most of it is somewhat inappropriate from what I've seen, and even if my husband I had bodies like those of the famous couple, our children would have been mortified if we were to "show off" our physical assets in such a way. None of us are prudes, by any stretch of the imagination! But "normal" families don't have parents who are seeking the media attention in the manner the Beckhams seem to crave and bring upon themselves.

As for how their children will be reared? It will probably depend upon the quality of caliber of the nanny(ies) they hire to care for their children while they are both traveling, appearing on television programs, posing for pictures and living the privileged and surreal life of celebrities.