It wasn’t the lethal use of magic in a PG movie about which I should’ve been concerned. During a 1:10 p.m. showing of a kids’ film on a weekday in July, I didn’t expect that the previews would be, in a word, terrifying, at least from a 10-year-old’s point of view.

Sure, there were superhero costumes for girls too, only they included mini-skirts and go-go boots. Witches looked sexy, not scary in their lipstick, eye makeup and fishnet stockings. None of the get-ups I saw would make a girl feel as though she was going to conquer the world, save anyone or win any athletic contests.
 

Last summer, I acquiesced to my twins’ pleadings to dive into the Rowling series with them. Surprised to find myself so captivated so fast, I plowed through all seven books, which, all told, amounted to more than 4,100 pages. Then I finally understood what all the fuss was about...

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That is a lie.

I started to realize I’d already set foot on Mortification Road when my kids criticized my swimwear for being risqué. “You’ve got to cover that up,” my daughter said. She grabbed the front of the neckline and unsuccessfully tried to pull it up so that the whole chest area was in the location it was, say, when I was 23.

Like so many other aspects of growing older, I figure this must have happened gradually — it’s sort of like becoming a regular Oldies station listener, or reaching the point where you should probably be shaving your ears. But I knew I’d made the transformation when I realized I’d somehow inherited my father’s incredulity at his children’s seemingly complete lack of knowledge about the cost of, well, anything.

What do moms want for Mother’s Day? Well, P&K columnist Meredith O'Brien can tell you what they DON'T want. What moms are seeking is simple: Nonjudgmental support, enough confidence to tune out extraneous advice, a good laugh and a fine adult beverage.