Warning: The following contains some minor spoilers for "Avengers: Endgame" and other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It all started with a son. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who would become Iron Man, the leader of the Avengers and subsequent father figure to Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland), was so driven by the ghost of his own father that the elder Stark's specter cast a shadow over the entire MCU. Tony Stark, over a series of 22 total films, was joined by others on either side of the dad divide: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), both … [Read more...]
I am Groot: Teenagers, Trees, Parenting and Electronics
“I am Groot,” is what I should have said, but that’s his line. Instead I said it in my native tongue, and this time with feeling: “You’re being a jackass.” And he was. Still, calling my son names in a fit of anger hadn’t been on my Sunday morning itinerary. Rather, I had planned for it to open like every Sunday does, with Nina Simone playing over cups of coffee, me in an apron and something on the griddle dangerously close to burning. Plan B, apparently, was standing in the doorway of my sons’ shared bedroom, repeating myself in competition with electronics that they weren’t supposed … [Read more...]
Is that Movie Age Appropriate for My Child?
Over the summer, two parents I respect told me they took their 6-year-old children to see the Avengers Movie - Age of Ultron. I was a little surprised as I've made ALL of the Marvel movies off limits for my 6-year-old, much to his dismay. He is a big Marvel/Avengers fan from Disney Infinity, and has seen a bunch of the old Spider-Man cartoons where some Avengers make an appearance. I'm a Marvel fan as well (long time reader, nearly 2000 comic books still collected) and while I'm excited to see his interest, and want to share it with him, I'm also concerned. The clips I've seen don't seem to … [Read more...]
7 Archenemies of Parents Everywhere
Parents are some of the biggest, most resilient superheroes around. Think about it, moms and dads, you have a mission – you are sworn to protect and develop your children and yet there are forces out there attempting to thwart your endeavors. So consider this your dossier on some of the biggest archenemies in the fight against parenthood. Beware -- they can get ugly, but be strong, parents. Be strong. Pets Pets are deceiving. They are loving and furry and all that jazz, but beware these machines of destruction can do more than pee on the carpet. Some are so destructive that they are known … [Read more...]