Play in Parenting 2.0

Parenting is becoming so much cooler these days. Thanks to the parents we’ve met, we’ve come to learn so many stories that just touch our hearts and tickle our souls. All parents seem to have these moments when they just get it – and achieve the state of flow in parenting creativity. I’ve also a new-found respect for the moms who somehow manage to juggle it all, and find the delicate balance between being a mother, and being a friend.

In comes Gina Romero, a dynamic rock-chick-entrepreneur-supermom whom I met this week (with an email signature that speaks volumes of her dynamite personality!) A gamer herself, Gina and her husband formed a family team with her two boys in World of Warcraft. In the most animated fashion, Gina recounted the moments of impeccable family teamwork, lessons in strategy, and the occasional outbursts of a mother’s natural instinct when her youngest one (the weakest link) charged ahead in a moment of impatience – “Don’t worry!! Mommy’s coming to save youuuuuuu!!!”. Fantastic story. Till today, Gina’s boys are still pleading her to join them on WOW.

How big an act humor plays! I’ve found the ability to laugh at ourselves so key to encouraging exploration and creativity. It must takes great courage I think, for parents to just let go. Perhaps that is the art of parenting 2.0 – to observe, to listen, to understand, to relive your childhood through your kids, without your expectations, and to let them re-inspire your curiosities, to let them be your muse, and to infuse play into the process.

Thanks to Conan O’brien who inspired this post with this awesome tweet today.