Geeky Parent Guide (156)
The Geeky Parent Guide is a semi-monthly editorial series by Fanbase Press Contributor (and father of two) Travis Lakata that will help parents and other caregivers to safely and positively navigate various avenues of pop culture with their children.
Comic books are amazing! Not only are they fantastic for adult readers who love various genres, but comics are great for kids who are interested in reading or being read to. As my kids get older, comic books continue to be a constant presence in our home. They provide fun, meaningful stories that teach us many lessons: right from wrong, ways to cope with our feelings, and how to share and be kind; however, this past year has made it exceedingly difficult for having a proper in-store experience from our friendly neighborhood comic shop.
Primer from DC Comics is a wonderfully crafted graphic novel for kids, and it’s a perfect comic to have in your household. Having impactful stories in our home is another way of reinforcing positive messages to my kids, which is a significant reason why stories matter (particularly in the comic book medium). Kids can easily see what’s possible in a fictional world and then correlate the same possibilities within their own lives. It’s without question that I look for those types of stories for my kids, and I’m thrilled to share a comic book that your kids will absolutely love.
Homeschooling for me has previously increased the opportunities to explore STEM activities with my kids. This past week, more specifically, has given my kids an opportunity to create some very fun science experiments. As our kids have been learning about various Earth Science-related things this school year, I’ve come across videos on YouTube to help show or explain how certain things happen. Ocean currents is one prime example. Yes, it’s possible to do an experiment at home in the hopes of showing how the interaction of warm and cold water makes ocean currents.
Being a parent is an extraordinary responsibility. While there are days of pure exhaustion or feelings of being a bad parent, looking out for the ones we care for most is the best “job” in the world. Now, one doesn’t have to be a parent to care for another person in such a way that’s absolutely loving and self-sacrificing. Caring for kids, while attempting to harness their very best, is a challenge that many tackle. So, it’s important to watch parental figures in film as a way to look for strength in our own lives, which is a testament to why #StoriesMatter and why people continue to find connections – and after this past year, personally, I want that positive reinforcement to help me realize that I am doing the very best I can as a parent.
NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission will land on February 18, 2021. After launching last July, this journey through space to the Red Planet will have taken less than seven months. Whether you geek out over science fiction films, enjoy binge-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, or you love any and all things related to outer space, then you’re in luck, as there are opportunities to be active on landing day.
Growing up is anything but easy, and we hope to see kids learning lessons from both real-world and fictional stories - whether that be understanding right from wrong or trust versus duplicity. What's challenging for parents is the overwhelming obstacle of letting our little ones learn on their own. (Oh, the last one is particularly challenging for me, but perhaps that’s also just as important for me to learn.) Thankfully, Star Wars Rebels: Season 2 is a fantastic way for parents to share these important themes for their kids to see.
As we start a new year, despite our renewal of hope in believing for better things to come, many things stay the same in terms of the challenges that parents and kids face with education in the face of the pandemic. Whether your kids are being homeschooled like mine or participating in virtual or in-person learning, education has taken a whole other meaning when it comes to the virtual wonder that is the internet. As a major space geek who loves Star Trek: The Next Generation, I’m constantly looking into what NASA is doing to further online educational opportunities for my kids, many of which focus on long-term answers to climate change.
As I sit here listening to the latest update from the governor of my state, I can’t help but look back on this past year as a geeky parent. More simply, as a parent. Even more so, another human being struggling to grapple with the continuity of this year’s timeline. What has it been like to be a geeky parent this past year? Well, it’s had its ups and downs – and all along the way, the struggle of feeling like a failure has been overwhelming.
The pandemic may be impact many of our family traditions this holiday season, but perhaps we might be able to offer some classic holiday flicks for them to watch. There are so many different movies that qualify for “tis the season,” but there are a handful of films that still have the ability to resonate, whether finding ways to your heart with wonderful storytelling or simply making you laugh by seeing the bad guys have a big fall.
Thanksgiving will look a lot different this year. With everyone struggling with the pandemic, it’s clear that our typical holiday traditions may not be possible right now. With the fall and winter holidays approaching quickly, it’s quite possible that some new traditions will need to take place – even if they only are around for a short while.
