by Kelly Knowlden
In 1964, Walt Disney produced a movie based on a book by P.L. Travers called “Mary Poppins.” The plot is really tied to an aloof father and loving but distracted mother who are busy with life and leave the raising of the children to a stream of nannies that are ineffective. Julie Andrews comes into this regimented, stuffy family as a very different kind of nanny and sings her way into the children’s (and eventually the parents’) hearts.
The importance of this film is that it critiques parenting. Today, the story is no different. Fathers of any era are often caught up with providing for the needs of the family and mothers are often busy with life’s needs of keeping families on track. This often results in aloof and distracted parents. And the nanny of today often is some electronic gizmo that occupies children with the fun that they want and long for.
The missing element is family relationships...families doing things together...families engaged in conversations…families reading and thinking together. It is the community aspect of relationships that we all need and want. This will come only as families remember what is really important.
How to do that? Ask 100 questions. Make them specific. “How did Spanish class go today?” Or “Who did you sit beside at lunch today?’ “What did you read in reading class?” Once you prime them, and that takes work, go after the homework story. “What do you need to do in algebra?” (I know that you probably don’t remember much algebra - but that doesn’t matter!) Ask them, “Now why is that number there?” Interact with them. Show that you are interested in what they are doing. Sit down with them.
This investment takes time. You only have a few years with them. Then they will be gone. Perhaps you could go fly a kite with them...
