5/27/08

Talked to a moving company today. I can't believe how much work we have ahead of us. And since I've been missing so much work, I'm going to work tonight.

On the way to pick up Katrina, Julian asked me to play music "that's in the car already," meaning, CDs rather than the radio. He wanted to identify different instruments in songs: "Trumpet!" "Drums!" "Piano!" I didn't have the heart to tell him that Alan Parsons Project is highly synthesized and I wasn't sure if any of the instruments were real. Still, his enthusiasm was fun.

I can already see this fascination with playing games on the Lego Web site eroding Julian's ability to entertain himself. Lately it's become a real struggle to pry him away, and he whines and complains that he wants to play on the computer. He's been a real pain lately anyway -- cause or effect?

One school of thought would be that he needs his own computer and place to play games, but somehow I dig in and feel the exact opposite -- the game-playing should remain in a privileged place, on computers that aren't theirs and they have to ask permission to use, and we can maintain tight control over (though we haven't). I know their own computers are inevitable, but at this stage of their lives, I see free access to computers -- or even increased access beyond what they have now -- only interfering with their learning.

I succeeded in "closing the office," and now Julian and Gabriel are making up games together with Lego cars, instead of playing electronic games with Lego cars. Splitting hairs? Not at all. Even if they model their games after the Web games, their interactive play is completely different than having the computer do it all for you. I'm not opposed to computer games in moderation, but "moderation" is not in the Top Ten of kid skills! At least not mine.

"Games people play, you take it or you leave it..."

5/27/08