Courtesy: The Curren family

Anwyn Cook (far left) and Chloe Cook (left) pictured with their parents Erik Curren (right) and Lindsay (far right), authors of the "Occupy Parenting" blog.

After Lindsay and Erik Curren went to a few “Occupy Wall Street” events in different cities, they thought: How can we bring this home to our family?

Not the protesters themselves, but the spirit of resistance.

“For years we had been talking about how difficult it is to be a parent in the face of all this commercialism,” Erik Curren said.

Occupy Parenting was born. Lindsay told Erik they needed to create something to fight “too much tension, too many conflicting expectations, too much trying to keep up with the Joneses” in families.

They created a website to “take the family back from the marketplace.” Their goal: “To bring parents in the 99% together everywhere to free ourselves and our kids from the rule of greed.”

The Staunton, Va., couple say they’ve always felt they’re fighting big corporations’ control over their family and, especially, their daughters, 14-year-old Chloe and 16-year-old Anwyn.

“They didn’t watch a stitch of TV before their third birthday,” she says. “There were no computers at age 5. Nothing automated, no plastic.”

She says they provide what their children need -- but not always what they want.

They always have limited trips to the mall, and try not to accumulate “stuff” just to keep up with what other families do.

The Currens are environmental activists who own Curren Media Group, a media consulting and marketing firm, and Lindsay writes Lindsay’s List, a women’s conservation blog.

They say they’re worried about other parents struggling to instill their own values in the face of what they consider a corporate onslaught.

“A lot of values are advanced by TV and advertising that may not harmonize with my values,” adds Lindsay. “We need to have a more prominent national conversation about our values concerning consumption.”

I learned that firsthand a long time ago.

My youngest child was about 5, watching a video, when she asked for a pencil and paper. I asked why she needed it and she said the TV told her to write down a phone number. I followed her across the room and saw that the video had successfully sucked in my kid, convincing her she needed more videos, and just how to get them.

The company was doing what companies do best: trying to make a profit. And I knew I had to do what I do best: teach my child to understand and resist the marketing.

“For decades, corporate marketers have been occupying our kids with their me-first mindset,” say the Currens. “No more. It's time to occupy parenting.”

They want their site to be a place where parents can discuss those things and share solutions.

Just the kind of support I needed when I came across as the bad guy for telling a 5-year-old she wasn’t going to do what the TV tells her to do.

What about you: Would you join the “Occupy Parenting” movement?

Jane Clifford is a Southern California-based writer and mother of four.

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