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.
Being a parent over the past few years has ramped up stress and anxiety tenfold. We’ve had periods of isolating ourselves to avoid getting sick, while tackling homeschool and being even more involved in our children’s overall growth. Yes, I am quite proud of the kids they’ve become, and it’s been such an amazing experience to increase my participation in their lives by teaching them day to day. Knowing it’s been trying for our kids, as well, has increased the desire to travel and expose our kids to more experiences and cultures.
Home Alone isn’t necessarily the typical movie one thinks about during the spring or summer months. It might not even be some people’s favorite holiday movie, but it does represent an aspect of parenthood my wife and I are currently facing. No, we’re not planning on leaving our two kids home alone after flying off to some exotic destination.
Free Comic Book Day is right around the corner, and there are plenty of ways to show support to local comic shops. Free Comic Book Day is such a popular event, shops from all over the world participate, giving away free comics and usually providing amazing deals to their customers.
Teen Titans Go! is an animated series that my kids absolutely love. It’s silly with incredibly ridiculous moments where my kids can laugh at the characters as they go about saving the world. If you are interested in adding some of that silliness to your little one’s world, then consider this fun animated series.
If you’re a stay-at-home parent or homeschooling your kids, being a physically active parent might not be top on your ranking criteria. From keeping the house situated, running errands, and teaching your kids, life gets pretty busy. It’s understandable to be completely exhausted and not know the best ways to keep you or your kids active. It’s equally important to understand that every single day doesn’t have to be perfectly structured. Whether it be exercise, what’s on the meal plan (if there is one), or having family fun, each day or week doesn’t have to be set in stone.
The Oracle Code is a wonderful graphic novel from DC Comics that explores themes where asking for help, learning to overcome adversities, and believing in who you are exceedingly important for anyone to see. Writer Marieke Nijkamp crafts a story centered around Barbara Gordon and her new life after being paralyzed from a gunshot. Nijkamp not only excels at clearly identifying Barbara’s frame of mind after the attack, but helps readers understand that life changes do not mean they have any less value than before. Seeing all of the changes our kids have experienced over the past few years makes this an excellent option for older kids to read, let alone every adult.
Being a parent means approaching life in a way that you want your own child to follow. Once my wife and I knew we were going to parents (about 10 years ago!), I realized the old adage, “Do as you’re told, not as you see,” was problematic. I have sometimes felt incapable of sharing my feelings or I’ve bottled things up, uncertain of how to deal with certain aspects of life. Whether it’s talking about my feelings associated with being sad or frustrations with my own failings, I wanted to do better, so my kids would feel comfortable coming to us whenever they wanted. Fortunately, I’ve come to rely on Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) in many facets of my life.
Scooby-Doo! Betrayal at Mystery Mansion is a tabletop game that will take you and your kids on an adventure in and around a haunted location where the gang must solve a mystery. This game accommodates 3 to 5 players, and with a minor tweak in the rules, you can figure out a way to play with two players – more on that to come! Let’s dive into why this game earns the win for my kids and why it’s a big hit for Scooby-Doo fans.
My kids were extremely fortunate to receive a Nintendo Switch as a Christmas gift from their grandparents this past year. This is their very first gaming system where they could play on their televisions – and that’s a big deal! They’ve played games on tablets and were lucky to have older Nintendo DS units passed down to them, but playing a game from your TV is a really big step forward (in my humble opinion).
The James Webb Telescope is a perfect example for parents to highlight to their kids how ideas, dedication, and patience are useful tools to achieve their dreams. The Webb Telescope is a monumental collaboration between several organizations, including the European and Canadian Space Agencies, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) which already performs the science operations for the Hubble Telescope and will do the same for Webb, and many more organizations.
