Our family believes strongly in the classics. I realize that it is 2018, but I am adamant that our children will be familiar with the most important characters and figures from a time when the world was simpler, and in many ways simply better.
I know that taking such a strong stand may offend some, but trust me I am right on this. Many parents are content to allow their children to consume things that are at best worthless, and at worst are actually making their children dumber. They do this while completely ignoring things that were truly remarkable from previous generations.
We have made the difficult decision to make better choices for our kids. While other parents are content to allow SpongeBob SquarePants and other intellectually stifling programs to raise their children, we have made a conscious effort to provide better for our kids. While many other parents are making foolish choices when it comes to entertainment, the Sharp family aspires to a higher standard. Our children may not be geniuses, they may not be scholarly titans who change the world, but if they are not those things it will not be because we did not expose them to the people and ideas who were superior and ahead of their time.
Just this past week I began giving the six-year-old Zoologist, and the four-year-old Ballerina their first introductions to the masters. We discussed Michaelangelo and how he was able to do what he did with creativity and tools that make most people seem incompetent. We talked about Raphael and how his ability to use both hands gave him a far greater range than anyone who encountered him expected. We conversed about Donatello and how he was able to take something that most people viewed as mundane, and turn it into something powerful. And finally, we conversed about Leonardo, his use of humor and his ability to slice through even the toughest obstacle.
This focus on classics, on works of art that have stood and will continue to stand the test of time, has paid immediate dividends. Already my children have added the word “cowabunga” to their vocabularies, and their attempts to replicate ninja moves will surely increase their physical agility.
And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are just the first of the many parts of my childhood they will be introduced to. I can’t wait to get to Transformers and Animaniacs.
Wait, what did you think this column was about?
