The thought of moderation and self-discipline has been running through my brain for the past month or so. I am not good at either of these concepts, however I will attempt to make my children wiser via my downfalls !! This subject takes me directly to video games & the internet - is virtual reality really going to replace physical reality if I don't set limits?? My boys got their first gaming console when they were 3 & 5, I am sure that B became a comprehensive reader at a young age when I/we finally refused to read the captions, he was forced too in order to get to the next level. The truth is, I have spent the last 9 years moderating game-play to a certain extent, the question is- do they, can they, will they moderate themselves?? Recently my concerns and questions have been relieved by no effort of my own. Since Christmas I have taken note of a few things...
1- B got a PSP for Christmas and rather than gaming on it he has downloaded music and wanders the house dancing around with his headphones on.
2- Nintendo's Animal Crossing teaches kids about earning/spending money (bells). If you only have 300 bells you might not want to buy a $280 rug because you wont have $ left to pay your mortgage!
3- PS3's Little Big Planet forces kids to cooperate in order to succeed.
4- Andre has worked his way up to moderator of a writing website where he edits and critques work by budding young writers.
5- Gaming consoles will go unplayed for days and many times I have to encourge the girls to sit and play a game!
So the answer is YES...sort of... I dont think kids intentionally moderate their activites, but left to their own devices they naturally get tired of things and move on to something else, from what I have witnessed it is usually something "active" for every period of "inactivity."
The boys are not socially introverted, violent, lazy or dumb, B does sometimes choose to jump over things (Mario bros)- They are technially smart, book smart, driven to complete tasks, socially as normal as any teenager, and they both type 100 wpm. I am not going to be the mother that stops the technological progression my kids are growing up in but I admit, I am still learning how to mother via the internet!!
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7 comments:
those are all good thoughts...although i find i DO have to step in every so often and yell "TURN OFF THAT DAMN THING!" (whether it is the computer, TV, Wii, PSP or whatever) then they (well josh and friends) just go out back and build something that explodes...
I think that all things can be good in moderation. I KNOW B learned to read though video games, and I believe it's helped little Lulu. BUT, I also know you are a parent who sits down and talks to your child, encourages conversations (even if it is IM'ing your son who is upstairs), and creates an environment where you know what they are doing with technology. I don't think your kids play violent games, and a lot of what you do is as a family. So while I am an advocate for a Book, and I still see screen time as harmful, it's not all bad. I have, however, seen first hand the damage of kids who spend their lives in front of a screen with no interaction. They are often socially behind, lack verbal communication skills, have trouble with comprehension, and are easily "bored" by our less than stimulating teaching. I love technology and I think it's essential we use it. How can we not take advantage of the new resources we have? However human interaction, conversation, and your role as a parent requires that all things need some moderation. (Sorry - you knew this was my soap box!)
Very good topic, very interesting. I think that human interaction is a big one. I think that texting and internet and time spent looking at a screen robs us from the ability to look someone in the eye and be able to communicate. I think we all need to learn this face to face communication. At some point in our life we will need it. Josh is a great kid, does most everything right. He does struggle to communicate with adults not his parents. Is that a condition of technology or are all 15 year olds no good at talking to adults. Hmmmm. Lots to think about.
MODERATION IN ALL THINGS IS WHAT I ALWAYS SAY! I AGREE THAT THE KIDS CAN LEARN A TON FROM MODERN TECH. I LOVE TV. JESSICA STARTED SAYING THE ALPHABET FROM WATCHING SESAME STREET BEFORE I EVEN KNEW SHE COULD COMPREHEND SUCH THINGS. I AGREE WITH KYLE THOUGH AND I THINK THE WORLD OF NOT COMMUNICATING FACE TO FACE (TEXTING) IS NOT GOOD FOR KIDS!
Kassie - thanks for reminding me to use less, spend less, and now watch, key, and use my thumbs less....all good things for me and the kids. I agree, for the most part kids moderate themselves, play things in phases, and naturally move on to something else, but as Dorien said, an occasional "mother tantrum" screaming "TURN IT ALL OFF" is - at times necessary.(at least at my house)
I'm impressed with A's blog. His writing abilities are such a talent. My boys don't have original thoughts in their head - let alone sentences, or paragraphs. I'm hoping they will improve with age, more schooling, a good English teacher, and yes, monitored screen time.
P.S. I've always wanted to be a fast typer....but can't get over 50wpm with errors. Kudos to the speedsters!
P.S.S I've NEVER played a video game.
After reading my comments - I was a little hard on my boys. I didn't mean to sound like that. They are both super guys and I love helping them write papers and draw countries. They are - in fact -really good boys.
Also, I didn't mean to sound like never playing a video game was an accomplishment.....in most circles it would be considered SUPER LAME!
Thanks for the comments- I love the insight! All kids have their hobbies or skills or whatever-my kids aren't very athletic- but I think that whatever they do we have to teach them moderation and to be able to say enough is enough for today- and then yes SIT down and talk about stuff!
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