I\u2019m<\/em> watching it again\u2026<\/p>\n\u2026and not just because my favorite songwriter, Sam Phillips, does the music. How did television get me to make time for a comedy about a mother, a daughter, and boy problems?<\/p>\n
Writing.<\/p>\n
I know quite a few students of cinema who are also professing Gilmore Girls<\/em> fans (not to mention some who were big fans of Amy Sherman-Palladino\u2019s short-lived follow-up show Bunheads). <\/em>So Leary\u2019s enthusiasm doesn\u2019t surprise me.<\/p>\nWhat did catch me by surprise was this Facebook post from him \u2014 something any parent should appreciate.<\/p>\n
\nThings I Learned About Parenting Daughters From Gilmore Girls:<\/h2>\n
1. There is a big difference between being a parent and a friend, but that doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t be friends. In fact, Bella is clearly one of my very best friends of all time and that gift of friendship is sustaining, life-giving, and worthy of indulgence<\/p>\n
2. It is important for her to see me work hard. She needs to see vocation in action.<\/p>\n
3. As a parent, I sacrifice much to make sure she is safe and has the space to flourish. This includes relationships, some personal goals, and\/or \u201ctime to myself.\u201d I\u2019ll catch up on all that stuff later.<\/p>\n
4. I should be honest enough with her about her shortcomings that she doesn\u2019t get stuck with the mediocrity bred by special snowflake syndrome.<\/p>\n
5. It is okay to talk to your daughter like an adult.<\/p>\n
6. It is not a trivial thing to have a lot of shared favorite TV shows, old movies, pop songs, and inside jokes. This is very serious business.<\/p>\n
7. It is okay to let her make mistakes. Just make sure those aren\u2019t life altering mistakes. It is also okay to parent on the basis of your past mistakes \u2013 and tell her so when decent or applicable.<\/p>\n
8. Involve your parents in the raising of your children when the prospect is not overly annoying.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My longtime friend, colleague, and Filmwell co-founder Michael Leary, a writer I admire, a man of impeccable taste in cinema, and \u2014 above all \u2014 a big-hearted father, has something to say about Gilmore Girls. The whole series is now streaming on Netflix. I won\u2019t hesitate to admit that I\u2019m watching it again\u2026 \u2026and not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1051,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[2863,219,2864],"class_list":["post-94886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","tag-gilmore-girls","tag-michael-leary","tag-netflix"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>My longtime friend, colleague, and Filmwell<\/em><\/a> co-founder Michael Leary, a writer I admire, a man of impeccable taste in cinema, and \u2014 above all \u2014 a big-hearted father, has something to say about Gilmore Girls<\/em>.<\/p>\n