As a rookie mom -- yellow stripe evident by the enormity of my gear and products I so foolishly buy such as the pee-pee teepee -- I'm always eager to absorb the knowledge and wisdom offered by veteran matriarchs.

My son Grissom is 7 months old and so far he has yet to roll off the changing table, hit his head on the bathtub faucet or get his fingers smashed in any number of fastening apparatuses he is restrained by on a daily basis.

“

I know he has everything he needs but I still worry about him every day.

”

-- MARY LOU HAMLIN

So far so good, and on Sunday I will be honored for my accomplishments. I haven't forgotten him at Target, left him in a running car or allowed the dog to babysit him while I went shopping, all of which are stories reported on the local news these days.

By comparison, I deserve 'Mother of the Year,' but honestly my job thus far has been only to blanket my little boy with love and affection, cater to most every whim and teach him how to sleep and eat. The hard part, I feel, is in front of me.

This is why when I chose to write my annual NASCAR Mother's Day feature I started the process fully aware of a slightly selfish motive. I'll interview mothers of highly talented and successful men -- NASCAR drivers -- and glean valuable parenting insight far superior to anything I could find in a stack of baby books or Parents magazine. At the same time, I'll write a feature for the boss and meet my weekly deadline. Brilliant, free parenting advice from experts with proven results!

In between my questions about the upcoming festivities at Darlington Raceway and how the mothers enjoy the ceremonial walk across the drivers' stage and free flowers, I'll sneak in questions like, 'So how do I raise a well-adjusted, confident, unselfish young man that one day won't move halfway across the country to escape my prying eyes, er, loving arms?"

It was a tough question but I received great advice.

If I can follow Jana Bowyer's blueprint for her son Clint, maybe Grissom will never miss a Christmas at home. If I can harness a bit of Brenda Jackson, Grissom will still be a big hugger well into his 30s like Dale Earnhardt Jr. And if I can somehow tap into the bond Mary Lou Hamlin forged with her son Denny, when Grissom grows up perhaps he will buy me a house 15 minutes from his.

On the other hand, Denny never calls his mother and has forced the poor woman to join Twitter as a legitimate, and at times only, form of communication. And sometimes Bowyer uses "old lady" as a term of endearment for the wonderful woman who carried him nine months and has cared for him 31 years. To top it off, one year, Dale Jr. flat out forgot to call his mom on the sacred maternal holiday! (Continued)