There is a great little story on Jackie Kovac’s blog (“The Big Kid Years” on the Today’s Parent site) about going to see the Paul McCartney concert with her daughter last Monday. her daughter (15) has grown up hearing the Beatles and Paul McCartney, so the experience was equally rich for both of them. It’s so lovely when that can happen!

The Three Little Birds performing in Toronto last weekend

We had a moment like that, although it can’t be compared with seeing McCartney live. My second oldest daughter, currently in Ottawa (the one on the right) came into town with her band and we went out in force, the whole family, to watch them perform. It was a real treat for all of us, and a great example of something that could truly be enjoyed “across the generations.”

I don’t know if we’ll still get a chance to see Paul McCartney again in Toronto, but he is almost unique in his (and the Beatles’) ongoing appeal. Sometimes places (like Pioneer Village) can have that kind of lasting attraction, carrying over from one generation to the next, and of course books can, too. One of my favourites is the Little House books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She is a great writer and I have enjoyed them with all my children when they were still young enough for stories at bedtime. Another, as the kids got older, was Lord of the Rings. They loved discovering that richly imaginative world as much as I did at their age.

I also see the same thing in sports. Some of my kids are passionate about basketball, and the effort they put into it reminds me of my dedication to hockey when I was young (and even now, since I still play). It gives us a lot to talk about and nice ways to relate to one another. For those whose children are still young, let me tell you: you will discover more and more of these “overlaps in interests” as your kids get older.

Believe me, it’s something to look forward to!