Parent Spotlight: Curtis Shaw Child
The Ensworth Parent Association is spotlighting three Ensworth parents who are building our community one smile at a time.
Tell us a little bit about your family.
We’re an artsy, two-dad family with fraternal twin boys who are interested in sports-sports-sports (soccer, basketball, football) and playing guitar. My husband, Desmond Child, is a songwriter/record producer who has contributed a lot to the soundtrack of our lives (www.desmondchild.com) and is always looking for more Instagram followers @desmond.child (so follow him!) I’m the primary caregiver with a background in theatre and film-making. Being a parent has been my greatest creative project!
We’re an artsy, two-dad family with fraternal twin boys who are interested in sports-sports-sports (soccer, basketball, football) and playing guitar. My husband, Desmond Child, is a songwriter/record producer who has contributed a lot to the soundtrack of our lives (www.desmondchild.com) and is always looking for more Instagram followers @desmond.child (so follow him!) I’m the primary caregiver with a background in theatre and film-making. Being a parent has been my greatest creative project!
Why did you choose Ensworth for your sons Roman and Nyro?
There is a balance in the way the school is organized where the students are academically challenged but don’t feel overwhelmed by schoolwork. Ensworth is a place where different points of view are welcomed around the table and kids are able to express themselves and have conversations (which is such an awesome skill to learn so early in life.) Ensworth students have fitness every day and the many options of sports teams and the rock band all tipped our decision.
There is a balance in the way the school is organized where the students are academically challenged but don’t feel overwhelmed by schoolwork. Ensworth is a place where different points of view are welcomed around the table and kids are able to express themselves and have conversations (which is such an awesome skill to learn so early in life.) Ensworth students have fitness every day and the many options of sports teams and the rock band all tipped our decision.
As a two dad family, have you felt welcome at Ensworth?
I’ll admit, I was cautious when we joined the school community in ninth grade, coming from a liberal Montessori school, but I can say that our family has been welcomed and it’s a non-issue for our boys to have two dads at school. The Ensworth student and parent communities really do embrace diversity and difference and it has been a great fit for us.
I’ll admit, I was cautious when we joined the school community in ninth grade, coming from a liberal Montessori school, but I can say that our family has been welcomed and it’s a non-issue for our boys to have two dads at school. The Ensworth student and parent communities really do embrace diversity and difference and it has been a great fit for us.
How do you hope to make a difference through volunteering with admissions?
I appreciate how hard it can be coming in new and not really knowing people. I want to make sure everyone feels welcome because my family felt so welcome when we started at Ensworth. We are a two dad family. Not everyone knows someone like that. For me, my involvement is about standing up and representing. I love talking to parents and making a personal connection with others. When we went through the admissions process at Ensworth with Roman and Nyro, I really felt like Ann West and the Admissions folks saw us and understood how we would benefit the school by offering a perspective they hadn’t really had within the community before. I want others to feel the same. I want them to understand that when Ensworth says they welcome diversity and different points of view that it’s really true and not just a talking point.
I appreciate how hard it can be coming in new and not really knowing people. I want to make sure everyone feels welcome because my family felt so welcome when we started at Ensworth. We are a two dad family. Not everyone knows someone like that. For me, my involvement is about standing up and representing. I love talking to parents and making a personal connection with others. When we went through the admissions process at Ensworth with Roman and Nyro, I really felt like Ann West and the Admissions folks saw us and understood how we would benefit the school by offering a perspective they hadn’t really had within the community before. I want others to feel the same. I want them to understand that when Ensworth says they welcome diversity and different points of view that it’s really true and not just a talking point.
You are incredibly involved at Ensworth not only through your efforts volunteering, but also by attending parent gatherings, parent education events, and social events. Why do you feel it is important to be so involved in your sons’ school?
There are so many parents that do so much more than I do, but everybody does what they can. By seizing on opportunities to get engaged at Ensworth, you not only help yourself and the school, but you also meet new people and make new friends. I’ve met some dear friends by diving in and getting involved and attending school events. It’s amazing to see all the opportunities our kids have to express themselves at Ensworth and it’s just enjoyable to observe kids grow into these amazing performers, athletes… people!
There are so many parents that do so much more than I do, but everybody does what they can. By seizing on opportunities to get engaged at Ensworth, you not only help yourself and the school, but you also meet new people and make new friends. I’ve met some dear friends by diving in and getting involved and attending school events. It’s amazing to see all the opportunities our kids have to express themselves at Ensworth and it’s just enjoyable to observe kids grow into these amazing performers, athletes… people!
What inspired you to bring your family’s remarkable story to life in a documentary?
“TWO: The Story of Roman and Nyro” is a film we released in 2012 that documents the 12-year journey of how Desmond and I met and connected with our gestational surrogate, Angela Whittaker who would carry our twin sons, Roman and Nyro into the world. From preconception through the boys’ first 10 years, TWO is the personal and powerful story of how our lives became inextricably woven together in magical and unexpected ways. TWO is a testament to the universal power and ultimate triumph of love—that it is love that makes a family, affirming that modern families may be modern in their making, but timelessly human at our core. We experienced so many crazy coincidences and synchronicities as we pursued becoming parents that we felt the calling to share our story with the world. There is so much heavy, divisive misinformation that we all have to trudge through every single day, and we felt the need to show what felt like a God-ordained beautiful purity that surrounded us as we navigated the roller coaster ride to becoming parents.
“TWO: The Story of Roman and Nyro” is a film we released in 2012 that documents the 12-year journey of how Desmond and I met and connected with our gestational surrogate, Angela Whittaker who would carry our twin sons, Roman and Nyro into the world. From preconception through the boys’ first 10 years, TWO is the personal and powerful story of how our lives became inextricably woven together in magical and unexpected ways. TWO is a testament to the universal power and ultimate triumph of love—that it is love that makes a family, affirming that modern families may be modern in their making, but timelessly human at our core. We experienced so many crazy coincidences and synchronicities as we pursued becoming parents that we felt the calling to share our story with the world. There is so much heavy, divisive misinformation that we all have to trudge through every single day, and we felt the need to show what felt like a God-ordained beautiful purity that surrounded us as we navigated the roller coaster ride to becoming parents.
With Roman and Nyro heading to NYU this fall, what do you anticipate for the next chapter of your life?
I’m so excited for the boys to experience college in New York City! I think everyone should have the opportunity to live part of their lives in NYC as it reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly, and helps to put everything else into perspective. In a past life, I spent time on stage and had more opportunities to be creative, so I see myself getting more involved with my hubby, Desmond’s, musical 'CUBA LIBRE' which has been in development for a long time, but seems to be picking up some steam, helping launch some of Desmond’s other creative endeavors, and spending some time on my own, writing and creating work that is meaningful for myself.
I’m so excited for the boys to experience college in New York City! I think everyone should have the opportunity to live part of their lives in NYC as it reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly, and helps to put everything else into perspective. In a past life, I spent time on stage and had more opportunities to be creative, so I see myself getting more involved with my hubby, Desmond’s, musical 'CUBA LIBRE' which has been in development for a long time, but seems to be picking up some steam, helping launch some of Desmond’s other creative endeavors, and spending some time on my own, writing and creating work that is meaningful for myself.
The focus of this issue of Ensights is “healthy and balanced lives.” How do you strive to have a healthy and balanced life?
Every week I meet up and walk with different groups of mostly moms on different days and we share what's going on in our lives and with our kids and help one another navigate the ups and downs of family life. By doing this you soon realize that you are not alone, walking this challenging path of parenting teenagers. Like everyone else, I feel pulled in lots of directions a lot of the time, but I do what I can to take care of myself amidst this vida loca life!
Why do you so generously open your beautiful home for parent gatherings, club meetings, Parent Association events and more?
Desmond and I have hosted several school events at our home, mostly, again out of gratitude to the school and faculty and it’s something that we enjoy doing and helps us build community with parents and faculty. We’re grateful to live in the beautiful space that we’ve created and like to share it with friends and host events for causes we believe in.
Desmond and I have hosted several school events at our home, mostly, again out of gratitude to the school and faculty and it’s something that we enjoy doing and helps us build community with parents and faculty. We’re grateful to live in the beautiful space that we’ve created and like to share it with friends and host events for causes we believe in.
Why do you share your time and talents for the benefit of Ensworth?
When we first started, I felt an obligation to show up and get involved because I felt so grateful to have been welcomed into the community. I also felt an obligation to show up as a double dad family to be seen in a world that doesn’t always welcome differences. When I was a kid, I loved high school and I know what an important time this is for teenagers. I want to do what I can to help the school and community continue to succeed and it also makes me feel more connected to my kids and informed about what’s going on at a time when it’s sometimes hard to get information from our teens.
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Ensworth is a coeducational, kindergarten through twelfth grade, independent day school.