A few years, Thing 1, our 10-year-old began asking me about Star Wars. She didn’t know much about it except what she’d heard at school, and what she heard at school was mostly about the prequels.
Sweetie and I … OK, Sweetie doesn’t really care.
I — pretty much by myself — have worked hard to make sure our children grow up in a Jar Jar-free home.
When our daughter just a baby, I decided that, when the time was right, I’d let her watch the original Star Wars, then The Empire Strikes Back and finally Return of the Jedi, and then, and only then, would I expose her to The Phantom Menace and the other prequels, because, no matter what George Lucas says, that’s the natural order of things.
I worried sometimes that I’d waited too late to talk to her about Star Wars, so I was relieved when we were watching Empire — this was a couple years ago — and Vader says, “Luke, I am your father,” Thing 1 sat bolt upright and said, “Whoa!”
Despite everything she’d heard on the playground, despite the scene in Toy Story 2 where Zurg tells Buzz Lightyear that he’s Buzz’s father, she didn’t know. The moment still surprised her.
I had done my job.
Our youngest, Thing 2, the 4-year-old, has begun asking questions about Star Wars.
I think he’s still too young to watch the movies,I think they might be too scary, but I don’t want him to hear about this stuff on the playground. I want him to hear it from me. I don’t want him to grow up thinking Jar Jar Binks is funny or that Greedo shot first. I want him to know the truth.
I think that’s why this new public service announcement hit so close to home:
Todd Pack 
“Talking to your Kids about Star Wars.”
Hi-Larious. I love this video.
What’s sad is that there’s nothing in the video I haven’t already said or thought about.
Keeping the faith, Todd. Keeping the faith. Hilarious video – I love it!
I especially like the Yoda cap on the sleeping baby. That was perfect.
That made me laugh out loud.
Loved this post, Todd…reposted to Facebook for my geeky friends, e-mailing to others not on Facebook!
Jim is a big Star Wars fan…I’ve never seen a complete movie…go figure!
Wendy
Thanks, Wendy! You should watch the original movie (which has since been renamed Episode IV: A New Hope) and then watch The Empire Strikes Back, but it’s OK to skip the rest of the movies. It’s all downhill from Empire.
Word.
Last year, Star Wars broke out like a rash in H’s preschool classroom. Suddenly, he was sitting at the dinner table, talking about General Grevious. I was all “What? No.”
That’s when I summoned YouTube and introduced him to selected scenes from Episode one, with a quick, “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this right.”
You’re a good mom, Maura.
“have worked hard to make sure our children grow up in a Jar Jar-free home.”
Classic!!
You are a good father.
Thanks, Amy. I’m a better father than Vader, that’s for sure.
Yeah, you don’t want them learning all about this on the playground.
Luckily, all he knows is Anakin and Darth Vader. He hasn’t really made the connection yet that they’re the same guy.
I don’t know if I’m proud or afraid to admit that I didn’t know that! I’ve only seen the very first Star Wars movie.
Actually I hadn’t even heard of Anakin come to think of it.
It’s OK. If you liked the first movie (where Luke gets the droids and rescues Princess Leia), go ahead and watch the second one (the one with Yoda). I think it’s at least as good as the first and maybe even better. Then, no matter how much you like Empire, walk away. Jedi and the prequels are like the last Indiana Jones movie — so bad they’ll make you wonder why you liked the others in the first place.
Glad to hear you think that about the first three. The “prequels” came out just as my son was getting interested in Star Wars…those movies made me question the first three.
Have you ever tried to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special? If you haven’t, it’s easy enough to Google. It’s awful. It’s just unwatchable. I tried watching it alone once after my wife and kids went to bed, and I was embarrassed. It was bad. We’re talking Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls bad.
This is such an important post! I’m going to have to add it to my Twitter feed after “Attention all fathers!”
Ryan
Cool! Glad you stopped by!
“Binks killed Grandma.” That is so wrong and so funny!
Wrong, maybe, but if it prevents one child from thinking the prequels are better than the original trilogy, then it’s absolutely worth it.
Only someone raised post Return of the Jedi could think it is ok to watch the prequels first.