If there was one thing I could convince my children to do it would be to not care what other people think about them. I wish I could convince them that it’s okay to disappoint the expectations that some people put on you.

I’ve got this wonderful unicorn print cycling jersey that is the most polarizing piece of clothing I own. I go on group rides where some other adult will make derisive comments about my jersey, and then some little girl will scream “unicorn power” out of the window, or some big burly dude in a lifted truck will yell out his window to get me to stop because he wants a picture because his friends and kids will love the jersey.

To the adults that tell me I shouldn’t be wearing something with rainbows like that my response has always been that my wife and kids like me and thus I don’t care what anyone else thinks so they should keep their opinions to themselves.

This confidence has always come easily to me. It fits my personality, and I’m a middle-aged white guy, we can get away with a lot.

What I want my kids to know is the confidence to be themselves without worrying what their peers think is cool. Wear unicorns if that’s your jam, dance like no one’s watching. Be a person that lives a life you can be proud of, treat others with kindness and make the world a bit better every time you step out the door.