I pretty much go through life quoting movies. You can find a lifetime’s worth of smarts in “When Harry Met Sally.” Don’t get me started on all of the wisdom in “The Wizard of Oz” or “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  But ask any friend of mine about the movie I quote most frequently, and they’ll tell you this.

It all comes down to the movie “Parenthood.”

“Parenthood” has plenty going for it. There is the plot line of the dad who is so busy compensating for his own childhood (ignored by his dad) that he does everything from dig through a huge garbage bin (looking for his son’s retainer) to dress up for his kid’s party as a cowboy when the entertainment falls through.

There are stories of parents who don’t say no to their kid, of parents who put too much pressure on their kid to be brilliant, of parents who split up and what it does to their kids. Basically, if you are parent, you have plenty to relate to, laugh at and identify with.

But my favorite quote comes in a discussion between Gil (Steve Martin) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen). He is complaining about how tough life is, about how he is drained, tired and stressed from managing it all. He is mocking his grandmother, who compares life to riding a roller coaster. His wife finally blows her cool and says, “I happen to like the roller coaster, OK?”

Man, I love that moment.

I have always lived my parenting life on a roller coaster. I keep busy, and my kids are, too. We pretty much are never all here eating dinner on a weeknight together. We are in sports, in musicals, volunteering, whatever. Yeah, we are busy, and sometimes it does indeed feel like a roller coaster.

But I happen to like the roller coaster.

I have heard a lot of talk lately about the “slow parenting movement” — the phrase we use now to talk about families that want to slow down, just be together more, play quiet board games, relax and unwind. Every time I read one of these stories, I really, really want to jump in and try out the whole slow parenting thing. But the reality is, it’s just not me.

I personally think it is good for my kids to be raised on the roller coaster. They run at full-tilt, and they are happy that way. They don’t tend to need a lot of down time, and they like to juggle.

I see these skills as pretty critical ones that will help them in the future. After all, it’s not like our world is slowing down in the next couple of days, is it? 

Sure, we can all afford to slow down a little, I guess.

My husband and I did make a big decision recently when we decided we should all at least have dinner together one night a week (gasp!). So Sundays are now out. The family gets to reconnect and have dinner that I actually cook (gasp again!).

We are also trying to slow down with the TV, the technology and all of that other stuff. When we are home, we are trying to turn off the television and play Scrabble or something.  But I guess the key there is “when we are home.”

I know every family is different. Some people do a great job of creating “sideboards” and not eating into their family dinners each night. People become a lot more talented than I am at saying no, at not volunteering, at not coaching or jumping in on every activity. But I sort of think it’s a good lesson to my kids that we always seem to jump in. After all, don’t I want them to do the same someday?

Yeah, “Parenthood” offers plenty of advice to me.

Another favorite moment is when Jason Robards tells Steve Martin how much he used to worry about his son and gives him the news that it never ends. He says, “There is no end zone. You never cross the goal line, spike the ball and do your touchdown dance. Never.” 

I figure the worry is part of the whole package. The roller coaster is part of the whole package. The mess and the craziness and all of the ups and downs? All part of the package. 

But that’s OK.

I happen to like the mess.

— Lauri Hennessey has written this column for more than a decade and is proud to be raising her kids in a messy, chaotic household.

Reach her at lauri@hennesseypr.com.