I was watching Homeland the other night.  Great show on Showtime about terrorism in the U.S.  Makes me feel very unsafe and nervous to enter any sort of federal building, but entertaining nonetheless.

Claire Danes stars.  If you don?t know her, she has been around for a while and started out on a great show called My So Called Life.  I am feeling quite nostalgic for old shows and movies lately. (See I Think Life Might Be a John Hughes Movie) Maybe because I am having my Bar Mitzvah in three weeks, can?t believe I am so f#$king old that I have a thirteen-year old and that I will be forced to run in the party room with my husband, introduced as the mom and dad, holding our arms up in the air, loose underarm skin blowing in the wind, flapping to Celebrate by Kool & The Gang.  (People still use that song, right?)

Okay, so Claire Danes, great actress, been in and out of spotlight over the years, and has more to her than you ever thought.  I know you never thought about her, like ever, but that?s my job.  To think about the most random things ever and report back to you. So as a mother to a daughter, I am constantly obsessing over what I will teach her, what drama is in store for her.  Can I take my own experiences and mistakes and somehow shield Julia from future mistakes and unnecessary drama?  And I thought, as daughters get older, they stop listening to their mothers.  They think we are uncool and don?t know what they are going through. So what if I use Claire Danes and her life experiences as my example of Julia?  Brilliant right?  And to think I underperformed on my SATs.

The following is a dramatization of conversations I may or may not have with my daughter Julia over the course of her life.

Julia comes home one day upset a boy doesn?t like her back: And I will say, don?t worry Julia, let me tell you about Claire Danes. In her TV show, My So Called Life, she pined for the most gorgeous boy in high school.  Really cool.  Really deep.  A loner.  She always wanted him to notice her.  But she stayed true to herself, and you know what, they end up together! So even if a boy doesn?t love you now, be yourself and you never know what can happen.

Julia steals her friend?s boyfriend:  I ashamedly have to admit that I kissed a boy that my friend loved.  I still feel guilty about it, and did I mention that I had a boyfriend at the time? Anyways, we all make bad decisions.  And I will tell Julia about the time Claire Danes stole Mary Louise Parker’s boyfriend of 8 years and babydaddy, Billy Crudup. Not her best moment.  And I am sure Claire feels very guilty about it as she is now married expecting her first.  She was immature and in love. But you learn from your mistakes in life.  You grow up and realize we all make selfish decisions once in a while.

Julia may or may not make cheerleading: Let me tell you.  I thought I had spirit, but in high school, apparently not enough.  I was devastated when I didn?t make it.  Well Julia, Claire Danes has not always been the number one choice her whole career.  She had to act in some pretty weak stuff.  Just a few years ago, she was hocking Latisse eyelash enhancer serum.  But look at her now.  Emmy winner, popular show.  The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should work hard towards your goals, no matter the end result.

Julia is always yelling at her mom:  Now even though I have no idea about Claire Danes relationship with her mother, I will assure Julia that Claire loves and respects her mother and finds her very wise. And because of that, Claire and her mother enjoy many mother/daughter mall outings, where Claire never wanted to buy jean shorts so little they could have been underwear.

So you see. We can all teach our girls a thing or two by using a totally random celebrity to drive our points home.   So start watching TV Land for parenting tips, and between you and me, that Latisse stuff is amazing!!