Interested in making new parent friends...and helping to heal the political divide? The Naptime Project wants YOU!

Interested in making new parent friends...and helping to heal the political divide? The Naptime Project wants YOU!
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Parents, I know how it goes. We are exhausted, busy individuals But if you'll hear me out - just for a few minutes, promise - I've got a proposition for you. And I think, I hope, it could result in something very good.

For a few years, and especially lately, I've been interested the idea of getting individuals from different backgrounds - and who hold different political, cultural and other beliefs - to talk to one another more regularly, perhaps even becoming friends.

But how? After considering ways to create more of these friendships, I decided the best bet was connecting individuals who already have something in common. Then, while out for lunch one day I noticed two mothers discussing the logistics of their childrens' schedules and it hit me: parents.

I imagined connecting parent "pen pals" from different political backgrounds who could email one another periodically to share stories and tips, and who have access to an accompanying social media group.

I'm calling it "The Naptime Project" because I know the few, precious hours parents of young children get to themselves while their kids are napping often prompt the question, "What's the most important thing I can do with this time?" Sleep? Work? Exercise? Catch up on "Game of Thrones?”

Participating will give you an opportunity to do something fun and meaningful, while providing a solution to the isolation that parents sometimes feel.

(And by the way, I stuck with the name because it was catchy; I don't necessarily think that pen-pals will only communicate during naptime. I mean, maybe your child doesn't even nap anymore or hasn't taken a nap since birth. Maybe your child will play quietly while you get tons of stuff done. Maybe you're at work during the day so it doesn't even apply. Point being, we don't have to get too literal about this, although if the timing works for you, score!)

Why start The Naptime Project? Because I've written about and experienced this type of friendship before, and it had a huge impact on me. In 2016, I wrote a piece for this site about my desire for stricter gun control and was contacted by over 100 gun owners who waned to discuss the issue rationally; I couldn't imagine seeing their point of view before. Now - while maintaining my original views - I understand theirs so much better. I emailed regularly with several of the people who wrote me, and we ended up moving beyond political talk and discussing our lives.

I think these friendships, as rare as they are, play a crucial part in bridging the political divide that exists in this country. As I wrote in a recent Washington Post op-ed piece about my father (a liberal) and his Twitter relationship with "Trucker Bob," an ultra-conservative and Trump supporter, "the tone of their relationship helped me look past the politics, noting the details we never dig deep enough to unearth in these surface relationships with our adversaries."

My father died in June, but I've remained in touch with Trucker Bob, both sparring with him on Twitter and keeping up with his life. I'm more eager than ever to see more relationships like theirs.

The idea is fairly simple: get people who hold very different political and cultural beliefs to talk about topics other than that, at least at first. The goal is facilitating friendships that are nearly impossible to make in the current political climate, made even more difficult by the political bubbles created by Facebook and other social media -- as well as geography.

If you're the parent of a baby, young child or children, and are interested in taking part in this project, simply email your name, along with a little information about yourself and your political background to: thenaptimeproject2017@gmail.com.

You'll receive an email back with information about what's next. I think we all can agree that more civil conversation is in order. And I'd love nothing more than for us to make that happen together!

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