Guest Post~ Second Hand Nerd

21 Apr

Barbara is back with another post about raising nerdy kids, though she leaves out that Grandpa Alan raised her the same way, with books and science and stories available on TV & films. Different generations.

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I am a second hand nerd.

I deliberately exposed my two kids (now adults) to comic books, science fiction on TV and in the movies as well as at the library, conventions (comic book and/or sci-fi) , made them super-hero capes and sometimes even discussed what would have happened if Leia and Luke weren’t brother and sister (eww, gross Mom) or if Leia had been the one trained by Obi Wan Kenobi.

At the time I thought I was keeping them entertained. I certainly did not expect it to effect the rest of their lives. I assumed they would outgrow their super heroes and Star Wars action figures.

They didn’t.

They play Pokemon. They’re sort of competitive and sort of cooperative. They have fun going on ”raids” or whatever they’re called. (Mind you they are grown adults with jobs.) They go to action movies and drag/take me along. Sunday of opening week. And my daughter, the proud keeper of this blog, takes me to cons where I get kissed by TV villains.

And then there are their T-shirts. Many of which I bought them. I need say no more as anyone who reads this blog has a closet full, too.

To top it all off they’re nice people. They work hard and take care of homes and pets and breakable mothers and are polite, up to date on the state of the world, altogether “normal”. Except that they still go to cons, collect comics (not so much since the flurry of re-boots.), actively discuss tv shows, upcoming DC and Marvel films and Pokemon daily. And they include me. I’m actually supposed to have an opinion. It’s wrong, of course, but they do listen to it first.

And I enjoy it. I protest , as a responsible adult should, that collecting bobble heads, spending Saturdays hunting made up monsters/creatures and passionately debating the characterization of Shazam vs. whoever is not worthy of them. Again, I’m wrong. I led them up this path and it gives them pleasure. They adult perfectly well so why not?

As for their including me, thank you. Our relationship has changed from parent to friend and I am so lucky.