About a year and a half ago, we moved to a new neighborhood in a small town. When our garage door is open and our family is out front, it seems to be code to the neighborhood kiddos to come on over. It’s one of those things I never knew I really wanted until it happened. It gives me the warm fuzzies seeing my children reliving some of my fondest childhood memories. Obviously, I don’t mind; I mean, we do have a plethora of freeze pops and a popcorn maker. If I was a kid, I’d hang out here, too. Plus, there’s a big tub of blocks meant for yard Jenga, but it always seems to turn into building blocks for an obstacle course for cars and bouncy balls. It’s fun watching kids from two-years-old to eight-years-old create and play. I try not to watch too closely, but sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me.
One Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, the driveway was quickly filling with kids’ bikes and sidewalk chalk. My hubby and I couldn’t help but overhear the kids’ conversation as we were sitting back and enjoying some adult beverages and catching up with some friends from out of town.
One girl said to our eight-year-old son, “Well, you ARE a nerd,” and that’s when my hubby and I interjected. You see, in our house being a nerd isn’t a bad thing.
We stress the importance of being passionate about something and celebrating your strengths. My husband was quick to point that belief out. The response by one of the kids was, “Well, he is a nerd because he is so good at math and always gets the problems right.” Super Dad to the rescue! Why? Because he’s more quick-witted than me. Without hesitation, he piped in with an important reminder: It’s a good thing to be a nerd. It means you are passionate about something, and we are all nerds in one way or another. I could see the gears turning in a few of the girls’ heads. All five older kids went silent, processing this paradigm shift. One girl’s eyes went incredibly wide, and she proudly proclaimed, “I’m a nerd about unicorns!” Another girl, “Me, too! And kittens!” The third child stated she was a nerd about horses. The last kid declared she was a nerd about dancing and went on to show off some pretty jaw-dropping moves. There was a complete mood change in our driveway, and the connotation of the word “nerd” was, hopefully, forever changed for the kiddos in attendance. They continued to talk about their varying nerd syles, but this time, with smiles and giggles. A point of view I hoped would continue long after this teachable moment.
Being a nerd doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but instead, we should feel comfortable showing off our strengths and passions, as parents and children. For example, my son is a complete Minecraft nerd; I celebrate his discoveries and accomplishments, but I honestly have no idea how he does what he does in that game. I’d like to think we, especially as parents, have left behind the stereotypical view of nerds like we saw on Saved by the Bell, with the thick-rimmed glasses, nasal voices, and pocket protectors. The ones who were outcasted and ridiculed. Instead, we should find comfort with those who share our “nerdoms,” in turn, creating our own cultures and identities.
Our family is proud of our nerdoms! We are Potterheads and Disnerds. We understand the power of The Force. We celebrate math, science, reading, and growing vocabulary. We are Parrotheads and our kiddos are Parakeets, and we are not ashamed. We binge on Food Network, together. But our family also loves to learn about and support other nerdy, flag-flying families. We all have nerd flags to fly, so do so unashamed and with passion!
