from Dean Dad that give me some pause. I am sitting in my new office unpacking books and files, wondering what it will be like to be chair. Wasn't I an anxiety-ridden assistant professor in this same place just a few days ago?
Kid #1 sits next to me, enjoying his daily half hour of media time (today spent with his rotund, pink friend Kirby on his Nintendo DS).
Authority? Free will? I never really limited my kids' media time. I did make my feelings clear on the subject though. They both seemed to go through phases where they would blitz a particular medium and eventually grow sick of it and moderate their own use of it. The blitzing and renunciation pattern applied to all kinds of things - from virtual NBA gaming to reading Terry Pratchett books. Both of them seemed to have turned into successful, fulfilled and ambitious young people (so far - fingers crossed!).
ReplyDeleteAuthority = delegation of responsibility?
Congratulations on raising two well adjusted and ambitious children! A great credit to you, and to them.
ReplyDeleteKid #1 is, like most of his peers, overscheduled -- much by his own choice (piano lessons, swim team, camp) and some by state or parental force (homework and Hebrew school in season). The half hour of media time (where Kid #1 gets a choice of internet, video games, or TV) was a compromise we worked out as a family that allows him to feel like he has some control (authority!) over his choices. It seems draconian, but in fact so far all of us have been happy with the system.
PS Of course, he gets unlimited access to books (yes I know they are media too) and non-video game toys. The result is that he is a more voracious reader than even I am.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very generous response - considering how mean my message looks. Cannot get the hang of this email thing. I need voices, inflexions, facial expression and all that to communicate properly. The fact that I write and read for a living doesn't seem to help - probably because on the internet I shoot first and consider second.
ReplyDelete