Modern Parenting In The Age Of The Narcissist….

While I always had the feeling that this project was special and that it deserved a wider audience, I never dreamed that it would get this kind of exposure. The attention has been overwhelming: my daughter's film has been on CNN and Jay Leno, I'm fielding numerous interview requests, and the story was on the front page of an Australian newspaper this morning.

It must be just dreadful for you…

It's crazy, and a little intimidating. I'm getting four hours of sleep a night and am running off adrenaline.

And yet…you don’t seem too upset? And you clearly had time to write a CiF column singing your own praises?

It's strange for the children, who are used to being behind the camera, to suddenly see themselves on television.

Oh, good. I was wondering when – if! – we’d ever get to hear how they felt about it all…

I've discussed the film with them, and Lotte is a little intimidated. Looking at yourself is very strange. Lotte's video has been viewed more than Vince's, probably because she is a girl, because she's older, female. There is more scrutiny of girls.

Yes. Yes, there is. And that’s a wee bit creepy, don’t you think? Still, if they enjoy the attention, then…

Oh.

Putting the film together has taken discipline – my alarm is always set for Saturday morning. Sometimes the children wouldn't want to be filmed, and then I'd try to stimulate them.

Wow! You’re clearly bucking for Parent Of The Year, aren’t you? What, I wonder, does your wife have to say about this?

She seems strangely absent from discussion…

Each week it gave me the opportunity to talk to my kids, to get to know their likes and dislikes.

You do know that parents do this without the need for cameras and YouTube upload, don’t you? That it is, indeed, considered a normal part of parenting, not some weird project?

The film in which Lotte talks is too personal, too intense for the internet. It reveals too much.

Well, thank God! He has some sense of decorum and privacy, at least, some lines he won’t cross to flatter his ego and…

Oh.

It would work well in a gallery setting, where you can sit on a bench watching, getting to know her.

/doublefacepalm

I think the reception has been so strong because the film speaks to people. It carries a message about living your life, and enjoying every moment of having your children with you. Being the best parent you can be.

And if you really think that that’s what you’ve shown yourself to be….