Parenting With Star Wars

Several people have asked me to blog about our journey with Star Wars. This is dedicated to them!

When James turned four he suddenly wanted to play bad guy/ good guy. I'm not really sure how it started. Being a pacifist I wasn't really sure how to steer him along. It was hard for me to watch him play guns and fight. I had to come to terms with his boyness. Almost all boys want to play guns and fight. They don't know what killing or death is they just know they want to run around and be as wild as possible. I knew I had to find a way to channel that.

I started out exposing him to a Christian super hero called Bibleman. It was really hard to watch but I figured it could teach him some spiritual truths. It totally back fired on me. I quickly realized that I was exposing him to behaviors he hadn't even discovered yet. The mix of fantasy and reality also really bothered me. I am all for teaching my kids to abstain from certain behaviors but I don't want to teach them just from a sin perspective. I want to teach them about making choices from both a spiritual angle and a practical angle. It was mostly just too old for him.

I can't do super heroes. I think they are a bit cheesy. I also am bothered by their portrayal of women. What kid needs to see boobs hanging all over a comic book page?

I finally decided to watch Star Wars with him. There are a few reasons why it worked out perfectly for our family.

1. It is classic American cinema.
2. It is story rich. Story is so important.
3. It is science fiction.
4. Princess Leia Organa is an awesome portrayal of a strong and compassionate woman.
5. I enjoy watching it anytime.
6. It doesn't focus on death but life.
7. It clearly represents the battle between evil and good and all the complexities in between.
8. It teaches respect for elders.
9. It teaches forgiveness and redemption.
10. It teaches radical racial acceptance.
11. It opens the door for many spiritual conversations.

I am sure there are a few more that I can't think of in this moment. (Justin is watching a Weezer interview and it is distracting me.)

We watch a Star Wars movie at least 4 times a week. We have costumes, books, bedding, toys, puzzles, stickers.....................................................

Next in my Parenting with Star Wars series I will focus on my wonderful conversations with James about "The Dark Side" (You don't know the power. There is no escape!)

Mary