Every Child Needs a Hero Pt 1

What is it about comic books and movies that are so attractive to a kid?  After watching Spiderman or Batman or any other superhero movie, I am always amazed at the number of children who are always in the theatre.  Children who are soaking up the adventure, the danger, the action, somehow knowing that these are important elements of a life lived well.  It made me think of my life as a child and my own love for Spiderman (though the graphics weren’t as spectacular back then!).  A theme that threads its way through the movie is one of being a hero, of putting aside your own dreams for the sake of something bigger, more significant, more relevant to the greater good.  And as the choice is made to accept the responsibility of being a hero, life does begin to make sense, though not always in the ways that are expected.

Kids need a hero.  They are drawn to people who rise above their ordinary life and become something bigger. This is why boys pretend to be Superman and jump off walls just a little too high and girls pretend to be princesses waiting for the hero to come and rescue them.  Or sometimes the boys stand on the wall and cry because they have got themselves up over their heads and girls rush to be the doctor who saves the sick puppy.  Children need both experiences – to be a hero in their own story and to be saved by a hero who is stronger than them.   Our children are looking for a dad who will be a hero for them – who will show them how to live in the world and will protect and guide them.  But they also need a dad who allows them to be a hero and to learn what their abilities and limitation are.


Watch next time for some other thoughts on how dads can be a hero for their children