This week I have transmitted my love of sharks, angel hair pasta, and tarot cards to my children. It’s amazing to see how excited they get about the things that make me excited. It makes me feel like I can fill them up with whatever I want them to appreciate, but it also makes me feel like there’s an enormous responsibility here, to fill them up with equal parts of all things, so that they will find their own way, and learn to appreciate the things I myself don’t get particularly excited about. But then again, they are most excited by anything and everything princess-related, and I’ve never had a moment of adoration for that stuff, so maybe I’m already off the hook.
Showing posts with label sharks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sharks. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Shark Week
This week is shark week on the Discovery Channel. I’ve long been fascinated by sharks, especially Great Whites, so I tape a lot of shows during shark week, watching them after the girls are safely in bed, so as to avoid subjecting them to any gruesome footage.
But then Peanut saw an ad for shark week, and now is demanding to watch the “shark show” over and over, all day long. So now I’m pretty much taping the whole endless array of shark-related shows, pre-screening each show to see if it’s about people being viciously attacked or just cool stuff about these perfectly streamlined top predators.
I like that, without any prompting from me, she’s also fascinated by these creatures. I can’t say why I’ve always loved sharks, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love them, so it’s possible my interest started around the same age. I also think it’s important that she get the positive image of sharks, as misunderstood and over-fished animals who need protecting, before she sees Jaws and gets the flip side of fearing them and wishing they were wiped off the planet.
I guess in that way it’s a little like everything about parenting. Load them up with the facts as young as you can, so when the other stuff comes they’re not swept up by fears, or myths, or propaganda. I’m not quite sure yet how to take all of that on. So this week we’ll just focus on sharks.
But then Peanut saw an ad for shark week, and now is demanding to watch the “shark show” over and over, all day long. So now I’m pretty much taping the whole endless array of shark-related shows, pre-screening each show to see if it’s about people being viciously attacked or just cool stuff about these perfectly streamlined top predators.
I like that, without any prompting from me, she’s also fascinated by these creatures. I can’t say why I’ve always loved sharks, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love them, so it’s possible my interest started around the same age. I also think it’s important that she get the positive image of sharks, as misunderstood and over-fished animals who need protecting, before she sees Jaws and gets the flip side of fearing them and wishing they were wiped off the planet.
I guess in that way it’s a little like everything about parenting. Load them up with the facts as young as you can, so when the other stuff comes they’re not swept up by fears, or myths, or propaganda. I’m not quite sure yet how to take all of that on. So this week we’ll just focus on sharks.
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