>> SHELETTA: THE BEST PARENTING ADVICE I EVER GOT CAME FROM AN OLD FRIEND.

HE SAID, SHELETTA, WHATEVER YOU WANNA TEACH YOUR KIDS, DO IT BEFORE THEY TURN 11.

BECAUSE AT 12 THEY WON’T LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY.

QUITE FRANKLY, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY, THEY THINK YOU’RE STUPID.

DUMB AS A BAG OF ROCKS.

NOW LISTEN, I LOVE MY OLD FRIEND LIKE A BROTHER, BUT I JUST * *KNEW * * HE WAS WRONG ON THIS ONE.

SURELY, THE KIDS WHO CONSULT ME FOR THEIR EVERY MOVE AND WARDROBE SELECTIONS WOULD * *NOT * * DROP ME LIKE A BAD HABIT ONCE THEY GOT A LITTLE OLDER.

TURNS OUT MY OLD FRIEND WAS SPOT ON.

AT 17, MY OLDEST SON ANDREW WON’T TAKE ANY OF THE ADVICE I TRY TO GIVE HIM.

CASE IN POINT, I HAVE THREE NUMBER ONE BEST-SELLING CHILDREN’S BOOKS, SO I THINK I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT HOW TO MARKET AND PROMOTE A PRODUCT.

I’VE ONLY BEEN DOING IT FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES.

WELL, THIS YEAR, MY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WROTE HIS OWN CHILDREN’S BOOK.

IT’S CALLED "ANDREW DOES HIS DANCE" AND IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, NORMAL KIDS LIKE HIM WHO HAVE SIBLINGS WITH AUTISM.

HE CAME TO ME ONCE THE BOOK WAS FINISHED AND SAID, "MOM, I WANT TO GO TO "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" AND SHOW THIS BOOK TO MICHAEL STRAHAN SINCE HE’S IN IT.” I SAID, "SON, THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

YOU DON’T JUST FLY OFF TO NEW YORK WITH YOUR FIRST BOOK.

YOU GOTTA START * *LOCAL * * FIRST.

YOU KNOW, GO TO KSTP, SIT DOWN WITH BEN AND ELIZABETH ON TWIN CITIES LIVE."

NOPE, MY SON SAID, I’M GOING STRAIGHT TO TIMES SQUARE.

SO HE WROTE A LETTER TO MICHAEL STRAHAN WHICH I TOLD HIM WOULD WIND UP IN A PILE OF FAN MAIL WITH THE FINAL DESTINATION BEING A RECYCLE BIN IN THE HALL OF FAME NFL PLAYER’S OFFICE.

TURNS OUT, MICHAEL LIKES FAN MAIL.

HE LIKES ANDREW TOO.

I’M GONNA HAVE TO LEARN TO BITE MY TONGUE BECAUSE MY SON AND I ARE GONNA TAKE A BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE IN JUST A