Embracing Your Child's Fandom
There is nothing in the world like having a child and buying them their first Superhero, Harry Potter, or Star Wars shirt (depending on your fandom). It’s a totally awesome feeling. You think you are raising this kid in all the right ways, because who else has a kid that knows every superhero by their true name and that DC and Marvel are, in fact, two separate universes (but that’s another story). Then one day, it just comes in like Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball...Your child reaches the age of peer influence.
For us, it hit about kindergarten, and has been a whirling force for almost 2 years now. Your child’s fandom slowly shifts from what you have taught them and reflects more what their friends are into. And the saddest part of it all--- their friends don’t even know why they like these things and it’s just the “cool” thing. Welcome to my life and all Pokémon has to offer it. I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve heard the words “E.X.” and “Mega” and “Evolve”. All these words run through my brain and make a mangled nest of “I don’t care.” But then one day it clicks. Just because it’s not what I geek out about, someone I love is really into it. So I want to care about it for them.
So I am here to tell you that my husband and I, but mostly him, have embraced the world of Pokémon so that we could be a part of our son’s current world. All the little kids around here collect and trade Pokémon cards like it’s candy. But none of them actually know the existence of the real cards. I’m pretty sure if I asked a dozen children if they knew how to play the card game, they’d give me a blank stare. Being the geeky parents we are, we want our son to be a true fan. The hubs went out and bought the starter kit, and learned how to play the actual card game. Then he taught it to our son. Together they sit and play, the real way, because if you are going to be a fan of something, you need to do it right.
I am here to tell all the parents out there to listen to your kid when they come home and try to tell you about their fandom. Listen and learn, and encourage them to know all about it. We want to raise true geeks in life, not posers.
