TEACH YOUR CHILDREN

Every parent wants their child to grow into a happy, respectful, confident, and successful adult. Yet parenting can often feel overwhelming. There is no perfect formula, and every child is different. What works for one child may not work for another.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN is a feature documentary produced by Spencer Proffer celebrating parenting and exploring how the lessons taught in early childhood last a lifetime.

The centerpiece of this film are five captivating stories of celebrity parents whose child-rearing techniques embrace Inspiration, Influence, Mentorship, Perseverance, and Collaboration.

These stories reveal how the everyday actions of mothers and fathers -- the quiet sacrifices, unspoken examples, and moments that seem ordinary until years later – are the lessons that inform the growth and evolution of their children. Along the way, we’ll witness how the joys...the trials and tribulations...and, eventually, the satisfaction of having taught your children well...can yield lifetime benefits to both parents and offspring.

Each story will be brought to life with first-person narratives, family home movies and photos, perhaps some animation, and with limited use of stylized impressionistic recreations that suggest incidents and participants rather than being literal or using actors. Within each compelling narrative will be strong character arcs, personal highs and lows, and a visually dynamic style that reflects the specific content and tone of the story.

Music plays a powerful role in TEACH YOUR CHILDREN. Each story will incorporate 2- 3songs, both contemporary and classic, that accentuate key moments as well as speaking to the heart of each narrative. Lyrics will be used to advance the story…provide insight into what characters on-screen are thinking or feeling at a givenmoment in time… and to comment on the unfolding events. Here are a few examples of the type of songs to be featured and the lessons they teach:

Father and Son by Cat Stevens: conflict, love through disagreement, letting go

Forever Young by Rod Stewart: aspiration, moral blessing, hope

Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder: presence, joy, unconditional love

Protector by Beyonce: fierce love, shielding children from harm

The Mother by Brandi Carlisle: challenges and joys of motherhood

Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills & Nash: mutual teaching, generational responsibility

Little Bird by the Jonas Brothers: protection, devotion, fear and wonder of parenthood

Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) by John Lennon: tenderness, protection, vulnerability

The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert: memories that shape identity and the importance of roots and stability

The end-result of this love letter to parents everywhere will be an awards-worthy film that provides a robust, meaningful work. It really doesn’t matter if someone is a celebrity, a “civilian,” or a single mother or father. Raising a child is something that brings up common feelings of love, trepidation, angst, tenderness, frustration, wonderment, sadness, delight, awe, and much more.

Dramatic, poignant, humorous, occasionally heartbreaking, but always rich and filled with emotion, the stories that drive this film are truly entertaining, relatable and inspiring.

Prepare to laugh, cry, nod your head in agreement, and ache with empathy and joy at a film that is a love letter to parents everywhere.