Obama Style Impacts American Parenting and Family Life

Today's NYTimes gives us an Obama family life article First Chores? You Bet, posted in Private Lives.

Some of the most interesting news is about the First Dad, who leaves the office for dinner with his daughters Sasha and Malia. Remember, the Prez does have his Blackberry. The First Dad rarely misses a teacher-parent conference or piano recital, and prides himself on having read all seven books in the Harry Potter series with Malia.

Indeed, Obama typifies the new American father, men who give much more than they are credited in pro-women media.

Rules Book Rules!

Another key component in the NYT look at Obama family life is the discussion of rules.

In my extensive research on American family life, it seems that rules, structure, and intelligent discipline have gone by the wayside in too many cases.

With so many kids believing that they are suprememly gifted and entitled to all that life can buy them, the Obamas will open up a new dialogue on parenting and creating a meaningful family life for kids.

New American Dialogue

Reflecting back on past presidents, the Obamas will probably have more impact on parenting than any previous First Family. As private as the First Couple is in sheltering their daughters (something all past presidents have considered), they are open to discussing these core subjects of their lives.

There is a new transparency of discussing couples' intimacy, child-rearing, and, by association, mainstream American values, through the prism of Team Obama.

The dialogue has only begun, but the conversation will prompt some genuine soul-searching about connections, relationships, marriage, and parenting in modern-day America. These topics are automatcially in flux, due to our economic meltdown. But the Obamas will reach beyond the current economic situation, digging  deep into the national psyche.

I have no doubt that the conversation will be fascinating and richly rewardlng. A