I am a geek and mother which has given me the privilege of witnessing my children’s first steps into the world of geekdom. It makes me 
proud to hear my son ask “How do you kill zombies?” or my daughter to ask when the next issue of a comic is out, they absorb our culture and accept it unquestioning. I take my role in raising the next generation of geeks very seriously, I even share experiences over at my Geek Parenting Facebook page and Tumblr (shameless self promotion done).
But there is something that is quite frustrating, something that has me wishing away their childhood, for as much as I can teach them there is plenty that I can’t expose them to. They are too young to enjoy many of the geek classics. For instance Buffy, Firefly and Supernatural are far to scary and inappropriate for my children to view, but man I really want them know about it. So what do you do? Just hang around and wait for them to mature?
Luckily for us the folks over at SurReal Mother Geek have had a brilliant idea…Mother Goose nursery rhymes re-written to include many aspects of our geek culture. Embed the knowledge young, in an age appropriate way and give your younglings an advantage.”A great idea!” I hear you cry, but where can you get your hands on this, well that is where they need your help. They have a bright and wonderful book ready for publication and have started a KickStarter aimed at funding the production of a book and an interactive app for the iPad ready to launch at GenCon August 2013.
Although I can’t post all the rhymes, because, well it would spoil it, I can let you know that SurReal Mother Geek promise to cover a number of topics including Pirates Vs Ninjas, the ever important apocalypse planning, steampunk, sci-fi and more. Having had a sneak peek I can assure you many aspects of our culture are pleasingly addressed in a catchy and informative manner, I’m assured by the creators that there are a number of references in the images that the grown ups will enjoy spotting. This is truly a family orientated project and a lot more fun to read than the usual nursery rhymes, it is to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
The creator Diana Pressnell, a fellow mother geek, explains why she started this project:
[quote]Twenty years has seen a lot of change for the geek community. What was once uncool is becoming more accepted every day. We geeks no longer have to hide our hobbies and we’re slowly breaking down the stereotype of what a ‘geek’ is. This shift has affected men, women, and children alike within geekdom. We can be proud of our interests, now, as well as openly raise our kids or take on proteges to train in the ways of the geek from an early age. It is for these children, and the adults that wish to pass on the glory of geekery, that I want to make this book.[/quote]
As a strong believer that our awesome culture must be passed on, I implore my fellow parents to support this project and encourage our community to level up, for the next generation of geeks must be prepared to inherit the Earth. We have a responsibility and training must begin from birth, so go make it happen. These handy nursery rhymes support your child’s introduction to the world of geek, head over and show SurReal Mother Geek your love.
I am excited to say that I will be reviewing the finished products at a later date so keep an eye out.
Visit SurReal Mother Geek here: http://www.surrealmothergeek.com/
Go check out the KickStarter here
You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter
Thanks to SurReal Mother Geek for letting me use their images and have a peek at the product!
