While the teenage years may be our favorite, they are a lot of pressure. There are only so many years I have to make sure my kids have life skills and learn life lessons before we are empty nesters. Even though it’s my job to raise them, I have to admit:
I still want them to like me.
I remember the first time I really saw my Mom and Dad as people instead of my parents. It was after I had my own kids. All of the sudden I was like, “I get it. You were a whole person before me, you were cool.” Of course, we always vowed that we will stay cool in our kid’s eyes. That we would be the parents our kids didn’t roll their eyes at. That we would be the parents who didn’t cramp their style.
But we all know it is enviable… even if you’re a famous actor.
Another TED Talk
This week, we had Academy Award-winning actor and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Matthew McConaughey, on the podcast to talk about his new children’s book, Just Because. It’s a book of life lessons for kids (and also adults) around some of the complexities and contradictions in life.
Now someone who is an Academy Award winner, a best-selling author, and activist with his wife Camila for safe schools must have kids who think he is cool. Right?
“I think I’m in the bucket with most parents on this,” said Matthew on the podcast. “Sometimes I’ll get, ‘Oh don’t give us another TED Talk.’” He laughed. Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you… if Matthew can’t get his kids on board there is no hope for the rest of us.
Eating The Cheesy Broccoli
One of the lines in the book, Just Because, that spoke to me was:
Just because I’m in the race,
doesn’t mean I’m fully ready.
Just because I’m shaking,
doesn’t mean that I’m not steady.
As many of you know, I suffer from anxiety and I go into most things scared. I am scared, but I do it anyway. It’s lessons like this that help as a springboard for our kids to understand how to do this thing called life. Matthew took the lessons he wanted his kids to learn and just like you put cheese on broccoli, he dressed it up to be fun.
We talk more about his advocacy with the Greenlights Grant Initiative in the wake of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, and our parenting philosophies. Take a listen to the podcast and tell us what you think about Just Because!
