Multi Generational - Tumblr Posts
Pool Phoenix Picture of a massive tuscan backyard with a rectangular infinity hot tub
Mediterranean Exterior - Roofing Inspiration for a huge mediterranean brown one-story stucco house exterior remodel with a hip roof and a tile roof
Bedroom - Guest Huge minimalist guest bedroom photo
Phoenix Roofing Tile Huge tuscan brown one-story stucco house exterior photo with a hip roof and a tile roof
Contemporary Deck in Phoenix An illustration of a sizable, modern backyard deck with a fire pit and a roof expansion
Contemporary Deck Example of a huge trendy backyard deck design with a fire pit and a roof extension
Random thought spawned by TikTok: Successful multigenerational parenting should take notes from Star Trek.
The captain and first officer are the command team: they decide (within reason) where the ships going, how fast it moves, how it gets there etc. They call the shots and the buck stops with them. They are ultimately responsible for the ship. And they may switch roles as the situation calls for it, with first officer becoming captain as needed, but at the end of the day they operate as a team.
These are the parents.
But if you’ve set up your village correctly, they can be the bridge crew. Experts in their field, ready with advice, options and to provide support. Sometimes the captain shouldn’t make a decision before checking in with one of them for their knowledge or advice. But no matter what advice they get, the command crew should be confident in making their decisions because it’s what they think is best. They’ll have to justify it later if the admiralty have questions, so they need to be sure of their choices regardless of who gave what advice.
And if you’re a member of the bridge crew (looking at you Grandparents) you need to accept that you’re not in the command chair. You might give your expert opinion and advice on a situation, but the captain is likely getting advice from multiple people and their decision probably takes all that advice into consideration. You (the navigation officer) might think the course forward is obvious, but another expert (the communications officer) has more information for the captain which you’re not privy to which informs the command teams decision.
And once the captain has made a decision, you can’t contest it. Like the ref in any sports game, their call is final.
For the ship to sail smoothly, the bridge crew needs to work as one, and support the command teams decision. And yeah, sometimes the captain is going to make a bad call. But then you debrief afterwards and learn where you went wrong. What should the command team do differently next time? How should they weigh or value different peoples expertise or advice?
As the bridge crew, you’re there to support command. Advise and inform yes, but ultimately to aid command so they can make the hard calls.
And giving them honest advice, to the best of your knowledge, and then aiding them once they’ve made a decision? That makes them more likely to turn to you again in the future.
And we can take it a step further - sometimes the command crew will be away from the helm, maybe injury or personal reasons. And they’ll need to appoint someone else (‘Sulu, you have the con’). They’re only going to pass that command to someone they trust can handle the responsibility. If you’re constantly questioning or overriding their decisions, how likely are they to trust you in the captains chair?
The ship works best when the whole bridge crew work as one. Every person is a valued member of the team, and at the end of the day the ship is the priority.
—————————————
Don’t know how well I articulated this but the analogy wouldn’t leave my mind…