Representing your Geekdom... as a mom.
In today’s society where social media can make you feel like the worst mom ever because your house is not perfect and you don’t make organic pancakes from scratch every morning, I believe now more than ever it is important to represent who you are and show what you love no matter what part of life you are going through at the time. To understand what I am talking about first you need to know a little bit about me. First and foremost, I am a mom. I have three beautiful children that are my entire world. Second, I work a 40-hour week, my house is not spotless, and I don’t think I have ever made organic pancakes. Third, I am a huge geek. I grew up loving DC (mainly Harley Quinn) and have recently started loving marvel as well. Fourth and last, I was ashamed. I was ashamed that I didn’t leave that house everyday looking like I had just come from a makeup artist with my designer clothes and handbag. I was ashamed to be the only mom reading comics at night to her kids instead of an educational book, I was ashamed to be a geek! That was until I met my friends at Geek Tank Radio. They helped me see that I was not alone and that I had nothing to be ashamed of. Now I am a proud geek mom and my work cubicle is decorated in comics for everyone to see. I am here to encourage every mom to wave her geek flag high because not only is it liberating for us it is the perfect example for our children.
So, what make being a geek mom so great?
- Your kids will have awesome names that can be connected to at least one super hero, even if you didn’t intend to. This is the perfect way to pick up a broken spirit. My kids are Charles (Professor X), Stevie Jean (Jean Grey), and Elizabeth (Psylocke, Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock). Yes, I like the X-men.
- Shopping for action figures together is the best! They have fun and think you are awesome because you know all about their favorite superhero or villain, you have fun because you get to teach them new thing about the hero’s they know and all about the ones they don’t. Trust me there is nothing better than watching my baby light up when she sees Harley Quinn.
- Halloween is always a big deal! There is nothing more satisfying than dressing your kids up as their favorite hero or villain and getting every detail right. They also think its super cool that your costume is better than all the other moms.
- You throw the best parties! From the hired cosplayer in the Loki costume right down to the mini Thor hammers made out of pretzels and marshmallows you put Pinterest to shame, not because you need to be the best but simply because you know what is authentic looking and what isn’t.
Now that you know you are a geek mom, why is all of this so important? The answer to that is simple. Your love of all things geek helps you connect with your children in ways that wouldn’t be possible if you didn’t. Think about how confusing playing actions figures with your kid would be if you couldn't say Hulk's famous catch phrase or didn’t know that Magneto can control metal with his mind. I know my kids would be super frustrated and I would feel out of the loop, and that is the last place you want to be. Plus, your willingness to show off what you are interested in let's them know that it is okay for them to do the same. It is my job as a mom to make sure that my babies know that what makes them happy could also make others happy, but they will never know if they don’t let it show! So, let your geek mom flag fly and encourage your little ones to do the same. You never know the next time you go to the park wearing your Wonder Woman shirt you just might find a new mom friend who has the same one in her closet.