As a veteran of six book tours — five with at least one child accompanying me — I have a fantastic idea for a spin-off of The Amazing Race: a version for parents of young children.
Instead of the usual teams of dating couples, best friends, and twin siblings, each team will be comprised of two parents and one child under the age of two. Navigating airports takes on a whole new dimension when you’re pushing a kid in a stroller and can’t use the escalators. Try racing off in a taxi when you have to install the forward-facing car seat first. Until I see some racers forced to simultaneously drive a manual transmission SUV, navigate an unfamiliar city with a poorly-drawn map, and amuse a cranky one-year-old by singing the entire repertoire of Ralph’s World, I won’t believe the producers are ttrying hard enough to make the race difficult.
Granted, some of the challenges would have to be altered; I would never suggest, for example, that any mother should take her toddler sledging in New Zealand to win a million dollars, but my sons would have a blast in a Zorb.
I can hear Phil now: “Each team will be given four diapers for this leg of the race.”
(As for the current season, I’m pulling for Chip and Kim. They’re generous to the other racers, they’re enjoying the adventure, and they clearly love and respect each other.)