The wild events of the day eventually led her to write a book of poems titled “I Fed My Kid to a Bird of Prey: Poems for overwhelmed parents”.
“A striated caracara decided my head was the perfect landing pad, much to my surprise and the falconer’s horror. Pro tip: never attend a falconry show dressed in bright red unless you want to become part of the entertainment,” she told FMT Lifestyle.
As for the story involving her son – who’s alive and well, fret not! – Schmitz encourages readers to grab a copy of her book to get the “full, cringe-worthy details”.
“Let’s just say it was one of those well-intentioned parenting moments where I thought I was going to teach my children something profound about nature, only to end up getting schooled by a bird with an attitude.”
The incident, thankfully, ended up being inspirational: Schmitz, a developmental psychologist at an international school in Stuttgart, Germany, turned it into a poem.
The 44-year-old, who was born and raised in Petaling Jaya, then went on to write more about her parenting journey, culminating in her first book that was launched in Malaysia this month.
“I Fed My Kid…” features 50 poems that explore themes such as managing anxiety in the digital age, letting go of perfectionism and people pleasing, reparenting oneself through compassion, and communicating for better parent-child relationships.
“These themes resonate so deeply with me because of my work. After over two decades of working with parents from all corners of the world, I’ve witnessed something remarkable: the struggles, victories, and moments of pure chaos are incredibly universal,” shared Schmitz, who has a 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.
She elaborated: “A mother in Stuttgart worries about the same things as a father in Singapore. The cultural details might differ, but that core experience of feeling simultaneously overwhelmed and underprepared for this monumental job? That’s the great equaliser of parenthood.
“My poems are my way of saying, ‘You’re not alone in this beautiful mess.'”
Indeed, her poems are refreshingly honest and deeply relatable to parents. With her sharp wit, you’ll likely find yourself smiling or chuckling as you read. She also created all the cute illustrations in the book!
Schmitz shared that she’s been drawn to writing rhymes since she was young.
“I’m basically the world’s most uncool rapper – instead of ‘dropping bars’ about street life, I’m rhyming about everyday situations. So, when inspiration strikes, the poems tend to flow pretty quickly.”
To her, the most meaningful thing about parenting is the realisation that it’s not meant to be solitary.
“It truly takes a kampung to raise a child, and I think we need to be much more intentional about building and sustaining those real-world connections to our modern-day kampungs,” she said.
“The isolation that many parents experience isn’t a personal failing – it’s a structural problem that requires a community solution, not outsourced to screens.”
Asked what she hopes readers will take away from her poems, Schmitz replied: “That my book gives parents permission to be imperfect, to laugh at their mistakes, and to reach out for connection instead of retreating into isolation.
“If just one parent reads these poems and thinks, ‘Oh thank goodness, I’m not the only one who feels this way’, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. We’re all figuring out as we go – we might as well do it together.”
‘I Fed My Kid to a Bird of Prey: Poems for overwhelmed parents’ is priced at RM49 and available at major Malaysian bookstores including MPH, Kinokuniya and Gerakbudaya. Alternatively, buy it online here.
Learn more about Mel Schmitz here. Want to meet her in person? She will be doing a reading and book signing at Readings@Seksan next month, where her book will also be available for purchase.
Where:
Seksan Gallery,
67, Jalan Tempinis 1,
Lucky Garden, Bangsar,
59100 Kuala Lumpur
When:
July 26 (Saturday) @ 3.30pm