jessica amber murray
"dateline is not a valid source."

"dammit. stop quoting fucking dateline."

"no, i won't accept it as valid. it isn't. it's terrible."

"no! dateline is not a valid source!"

nick
It is now.

jessica amber murray
dammit...

i was reading something, and it got me to thinking how hands-off of a parent i would be. like, i'd barely even pay attention. i'd answer questions, make the odd suggestion. but, i'm not interested in living vicariously through my kids or whatever. i'm pretty opposed to hierarchy in general, but i'm really just exceedingly liberal when it comes to raising kids...

that makes me very different than most people my age, who are very conservative on this issue. what would happen if i got stuck raising a kid with one of these control freak nutcases?

well, here's the thing: i might not want to steer, but i'd be absolutely unable to allow the other parent to go full helicopter on any kid of mine. no fucking way, man. i'm going to stand up to tyranny anywhere i see it, and with my own kid? that's....that's personal....

...and it got me to thinking that it would be an excellent television show. well, first i thought it would be a good novel. then i thought it's more of a subplot, just because it needs that randomness to be effective - it would get boring as the dominant focus. but, a tv show...yeah....that's where this really belongs...

it's gotta be rooted in the anarchist's tendency to deliver these over-the-top, eloquent drama queen speeches in favour of delivering the child from tyranny, total enlightenment era language, while the helicopter parent responds in favour of order and grooming...

they've gotta constantly be at each other.

and the twist has to always be that the kid decides in the end, in some kind of vaguely dialectical manner.

"to deny a child the beauty of the forest,
for what? for age?
did you not pick your own berries?
did you not dare your friends to eat the unknown, in case they might be poison?
did you not chase squirrels, and think you smelled skunks and run from imaginary bears?
and did your mother stand over you as you did so?
did she steal your dreams?
did she write the rules of your games?
was she as convinced of your incompetence,
as i am convinced of your tyranny?
the children shall rise, foul madam, and abolish your cruel authority.
and when they do i shall aid them.
solidarity, children!
the fight is ours to win,
should we work together!"