> These days a $1,600 computer > for a nine year old is par for the course, along with the cellphone, > the game machine. the digital camera and Lord knows what else. And we > wonder why so many seem to need special ed to know the difference > betewwn work and play?
Even then, there are levels of magnitude in kid-dom. My kids having been using computers since they were 2. I feel it's important for them to have that skill. They get my hand-built hand-me-downs. I bought an 4-year old Xbox from a cousin for $75. My son used his allowance to buy a used Gamecube the other day. It's probably 5 or 6 years old, but he loves playing Mario Bros Smash. They have limits on playing time. No gaming during the week while school's in and bad grades will make the games disappear altogether. TV is heavily controlled. Good behavior is rewarded. Bad behavior, not so much. My daughter has a 2 Gig Sansa Clip, that she got for Xmas and has a $50, bottom-of-the-line digital camera to encourage her creative side, which is quite creative. She uses it all the time, making stop-motion movies with it. I might give my son my old 1 Gig Sansa. They don't have cell phones, PSPs, Nintendo DSi's, a Wii nor an iPhone nor any of the other gold plated gadgets that all their friends seem to have. They read quite a bit, play outside and play with Legos, too. My daughter writes poetry, makes films, draws prodigiously and my son, well, he's not too creative, but he loves playing sports. I believe that everything can be done in moderation without them becoming complete slackers. ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
