Many moons ago I bought my then-boyfriend a PlayStation for his birthday. I remember shopping for it; salesmen would light up at the mere idea of their lady-loves buying them a video game. One friend of mine warned me I'd rue the day that I handed over the PS2 - it'd sound the death knell of our relationship. Once my man plugged in, he'd never be back.
But I knew better. Those days were the early days of our romance. The days when "staying in" meant, well, you know...wink, wink, nudge, nudge... And I knew no playstation could ever come between me and my man.
That man is now my husband. And after many nights of, ahem, staying in, we have three children. Which of course gives the term a whole new meaning. Now "staying in" means staying home, catching up with our beloved pvr, going to bed early, or all of the above. Or at least it did...
Until last week.
Last week was my beloved's birthday once again. And I revisited the idea of the gadget gift. No more sweaters, bags, or, erm....sweaters. I was going for fun this time. We were ipodded-out and the PS2 was looking a little sad in its new role as basement dvd player. So I went for it... and bought my man a Nintendo Wii.
Well, my old pal was right. I have created a monster.....ME!
I'm completely obsessed. My man is too, don't get me wrong. In fact, we now spend our evenings on a World Tour. RockBand, that is. He's drums, I'm guitar and we vie for the mic now and then. To get to the songs you love (and know!) you need to get past various levels. It makes it difficult, or some addicts may say, impossible, to leave the band hanging without reaching just one. more. level. And while you're at it, you learn to love songs you never in a million years thought you could even stand. Bon Jovi - where have you been all my life?!
But it's not just about Rock Band. My five-year old son has a thing for the bowling. And the air hockey. My 3-year old likes to watch the tennis. And my 5 month old likes nothing more than to lie on his playmat, rolling around to the sounds of gunfire.
Yes, gunfire. Loathe as I to admit it, I'm hooked on the shooting game. It starts with balloons, followed by targets, skeet/clay pigeon thingies, and cans. Finally, it ends with a group of characters running around a field being abducted by aliens - which you have to shoot down. And I can't get enough of it. My oldest and I played for over an hour yesterday. Me, the mother who resisted buying water guns, is now channeling my inner Sarah Palin and going hunting with my child. Sick!
But oh so much fun! And I've barely broken the surface of the world of Wii!
The prime demographic for videogames is male, aged 13-25. But not anymore. Teenage boys, move over for Mama. There's a new gamer in town and she's looking for action!
GAME ON!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
COLOROSO FOR DUMMIES
SPOILER ALERT: THIS BLOG IS ABOUT PARENTING. NO RANTS, JUST RAVES....
For real.
But if you're still interested, read on. If not, a bientot....
Now, where was I? Aaaah yes. The trials and tribulations of parenting. The love. The joy. The pain....in the ass. It ain't easy so I take any help I can get. And then I discard what I don't need. Or want. I've read loads of books, been to a handful of courses. Some last several weeks, others a few hours. I pick 'n mix and hope against hope that something someone said somewhere will stick by the time I get home. And that I'll remember what it was and whether it worked. "Siblings Without Rivalry" is an awesome book. Ditto "How to Tame your Spirited Child". Alyson.ca is good news. And Sarah Chana Radcliffe's not bad.
And then there's Babs. (Can I call her Babs?). Talk about a maven!!! Parent. Teacher. Author. Genocide expert. Ex-nun. Comedian.
OK, she's not officially a comedian but she's hilarious so I'm taking liberties. It's my blog.
Last night was different. Different from the other gurus. Different than all other nights. Free coffee and two-bite brownies aside, it was amazing. It was Barbara Coloroso talking about everything from bullying to Rwanda to sibling rivalry. She was smart. She was funny. She was inspiring. I'm not one to prosthelytize - well, perhaps I am (Magic Bullet...American Idol...Piller's Turkey Bites... oops did I really admit that? Moving on...) - but she was brilliant. I left her lecture feeling moved, energized, and confident. And tempted to shanghai her back to my house to hang out with me 'n mine for a week or three.
But since that's illegal, and undoubtedly expensive, I shall humbly attempt to paraphrase some of her better thoughts. Yes, I took notes. And it's a good thing too. I've been asked to pass them on. Yes, the people have asked. And while there are no perfect answers, there are some damn good tips to help find them...
* Tattling vs. Telling...Tattling gets somebody INTO trouble. Telling gets someone OUT OF trouble. When in doubt, discuss.
*Bribes and Rewards are THE SAME THING. We've become a nation of gold-star earners. Doing The Right Thing shouldn't be something that you get paid for. It's something you just DO. It feels good because it is good. And that's reward enough.
*Natural consequences: if it's not life-threatening, or moral threatening, let it happen.
*Discipline. Don't punish. Punishment doesn't work - it sends 'em underground. Discipline is learning.
*Think in terms of US, OURS & ENOUGH....rather than me, mine and more.
*Teach your children HOW to think, not WHAT to think.
* Save the "no" for when you really mean it. Alternatives include "later", "let me think about it/give me a minute" and (my fave) "convince me". There is a time for "no" - used sparingly it'll actually mean something. "No." It's a complete sentence.
*Don't tell your kids what they already know.
*Mistakes happen. Own it, fix it, learn from it. And move on. Give your kids ways to problem solve while leaving their dignity in tact. And it doesn't have to hurt.
*1,2,3...timeout. Doesn't work. However, time out to fix a problem does, whether in a rocker, a room, or a lap. The goal is to calm everyone down and to let your child figure out a solution. Or to teach them how to fix what needs fixing.
*Teasing vs. Taunting: Teasing is two-sided, between friends, and gets both people laughing. Taunting is one-sided, laughing AT someone.
*"I'm sorry" doesn't make something right. Instead, try fixing it and making sure it doesn't happen again. Heal with the person you've hurt.
* Discpline doesn't work for the under-3 crowd. Instead try one of her 3 D's: Distract. Disorient. Disengage.
* Mean what you say and say what you mean.
* Conflict is inevitable. Don't punish. Don't rescue. Most of the time kids can sort stuff out on their own. And when they can't, step in as a backbone, not an enforcer. Or enabler.
* Helping out is not a job. Chores are not paid for. Money is for saving, spending, or giving to others. Not for being a responsible citizen of a household.
* You can't control someone else's will.
There. I don't need to write all this out 99 more times to make it stay in my head....Do I?! I was hoping just this once would get it to stick. Maybe it will. And maybe it won't. But here's hoping.
Good luck fellow freaks.....
For real.
But if you're still interested, read on. If not, a bientot....
Now, where was I? Aaaah yes. The trials and tribulations of parenting. The love. The joy. The pain....in the ass. It ain't easy so I take any help I can get. And then I discard what I don't need. Or want. I've read loads of books, been to a handful of courses. Some last several weeks, others a few hours. I pick 'n mix and hope against hope that something someone said somewhere will stick by the time I get home. And that I'll remember what it was and whether it worked. "Siblings Without Rivalry" is an awesome book. Ditto "How to Tame your Spirited Child". Alyson.ca is good news. And Sarah Chana Radcliffe's not bad.
And then there's Babs. (Can I call her Babs?). Talk about a maven!!! Parent. Teacher. Author. Genocide expert. Ex-nun. Comedian.
OK, she's not officially a comedian but she's hilarious so I'm taking liberties. It's my blog.
Last night was different. Different from the other gurus. Different than all other nights. Free coffee and two-bite brownies aside, it was amazing. It was Barbara Coloroso talking about everything from bullying to Rwanda to sibling rivalry. She was smart. She was funny. She was inspiring. I'm not one to prosthelytize - well, perhaps I am (Magic Bullet...American Idol...Piller's Turkey Bites... oops did I really admit that? Moving on...) - but she was brilliant. I left her lecture feeling moved, energized, and confident. And tempted to shanghai her back to my house to hang out with me 'n mine for a week or three.
But since that's illegal, and undoubtedly expensive, I shall humbly attempt to paraphrase some of her better thoughts. Yes, I took notes. And it's a good thing too. I've been asked to pass them on. Yes, the people have asked. And while there are no perfect answers, there are some damn good tips to help find them...
* Tattling vs. Telling...Tattling gets somebody INTO trouble. Telling gets someone OUT OF trouble. When in doubt, discuss.
*Bribes and Rewards are THE SAME THING. We've become a nation of gold-star earners. Doing The Right Thing shouldn't be something that you get paid for. It's something you just DO. It feels good because it is good. And that's reward enough.
*Natural consequences: if it's not life-threatening, or moral threatening, let it happen.
*Discipline. Don't punish. Punishment doesn't work - it sends 'em underground. Discipline is learning.
*Think in terms of US, OURS & ENOUGH....rather than me, mine and more.
*Teach your children HOW to think, not WHAT to think.
* Save the "no" for when you really mean it. Alternatives include "later", "let me think about it/give me a minute" and (my fave) "convince me". There is a time for "no" - used sparingly it'll actually mean something. "No." It's a complete sentence.
*Don't tell your kids what they already know.
*Mistakes happen. Own it, fix it, learn from it. And move on. Give your kids ways to problem solve while leaving their dignity in tact. And it doesn't have to hurt.
*1,2,3...timeout. Doesn't work. However, time out to fix a problem does, whether in a rocker, a room, or a lap. The goal is to calm everyone down and to let your child figure out a solution. Or to teach them how to fix what needs fixing.
*Teasing vs. Taunting: Teasing is two-sided, between friends, and gets both people laughing. Taunting is one-sided, laughing AT someone.
*"I'm sorry" doesn't make something right. Instead, try fixing it and making sure it doesn't happen again. Heal with the person you've hurt.
* Discpline doesn't work for the under-3 crowd. Instead try one of her 3 D's: Distract. Disorient. Disengage.
* Mean what you say and say what you mean.
* Conflict is inevitable. Don't punish. Don't rescue. Most of the time kids can sort stuff out on their own. And when they can't, step in as a backbone, not an enforcer. Or enabler.
* Helping out is not a job. Chores are not paid for. Money is for saving, spending, or giving to others. Not for being a responsible citizen of a household.
* You can't control someone else's will.
There. I don't need to write all this out 99 more times to make it stay in my head....Do I?! I was hoping just this once would get it to stick. Maybe it will. And maybe it won't. But here's hoping.
Good luck fellow freaks.....
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