Me – My Daughter – and Vampires

Me – My Daughter – and Vampires

I LOATHE vampire shows.

My daughter LOVES vampire shows. If she could, she would watch the Vampire Diaries all day, every day…and she tries!

In an effort to connect with a girl who’s growing up too fast, I’ve tried to find aspects of the show that I can get into: A funny line, a character, anything that I can use to keep a dialogue with her since it’s her favorite thing in the world right now. And ya know what? It was working!

“Meet them where they are”, they say. For me, that’s somewhere between Mystic Falls and Transylvania.

Then, it happened.

There’s a scene in her favorite show where two of the main characters slow dance together. #ew #cringy

“Daddy, watch this dance”.

I obliged. It was just a dance. No blood sucking vampire nastiness at that moment. Blah! (blah blah).

“That’s a waltz”, I said.

“How did you know that?”, she asked.

“Remember when I told you that daddy taught ballroom dancing in college?”, I said.

“Wait, you did????” was her response (and probably the same response of some people reading this.).

“Yep. Wanna learn?”, I asked.

“Yeah! Right now!”. She bounced up.

Within minutes, we were waltzing in our living room.

PEOPLE! I WAS WALTZING WITH MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER IN THE LIVING ROOM!!! Shhhh! Everybody be cool! BE COOL!

As a reflect on that experience, I want to share a few things that came to mind.

1) We all have a talent. Share your talent with your kids. Let them experience your talent with you. You have a story to tell, and what better audience than your children.

2) Meet them where they are! Is your kid a gamer? Let them teach you how to play their favorite video game. Know the characters in the game. Do they watch YouTube? Watch their favorite YouTube video with them. You’ll learn A LOT! Do they like Thomas The Tank Engine? Choo choo! Off to Sodor you go! Legos? Build a model with them. Dinosaurs? Tell them a story about the

Megola-tyrani-velica-saurus-Rex-apus you heard about.

Learn their interests and show them YOU’RE interested!

3) Most importantly, stay connected. When the connection seems to be fading…and it happens…reconnect.

I know playing Roblox, or Fortnite, or lining up toys, or listening to YouTube, or whatever hobby or obsession they have isn’t on your short list of things to do, but maybe it could be???

I loathe vampire shows a little less right now, because it gave me a moment with my daughter that I will remember forever.

Connect with your kids. Go into their world.

And godspeed when you do. ; )

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