I came across a story this morning on ABCNews.com about something they're calling "express board games". The logic behind this "innovation" from Hasbro is that kids these days are just too busy to play a full game of Monopoly or Scrabble. Ergo: a new version needs to be made in order to fit their busy schedules. The knee-jerk reaction to this would be: hey, that's a smart idea . . . kids are extremely busy and are not able to play a "real" game. But then five seconds a rational thought comes in and sees the really bad logic driving this new idea.
If kids are too busy with soccer practice, trumpet practice, internet (items listed on the video version of this same story), and are not able to play a simple board game with their family; then the kids have some pretty jacked up priorities--and the parents are basically enabling it. The marketing VP of Hasbro, Jill Hambley, is even applauding the parents in their enabling habits:
"We're not asking parents 'stop everything you're doing and let's play a game.' We're saying we're going to fit games into the day that you already have schedule."I personally think parents should be able to say, "Hey, kids, put down the cell phone . . ." or "get off the internet . . ." or "step away from the Wii/X-Box/PS2/etc . . ." and "let's have some family game time". And who cares if it takes hours to play--the kids spend hours on the cell phone, on the internet, or in front of some gaming system. So, in asking the kids to do such things, we're not really jeopardizing their time; we're simply redirecting it--to where it should be.
But this raises a larger question for me: where are these kids learning this habit of needing to have busy schedules? I think Ms. Jill Hambley implicitly revealed the source of the problem: the parents are the teachers of this habit. Kids learn by watching--especially during their formative years (i.e., birth to 4- [or 5-]years-old). If kids see their parents doing nothing but running around like crazy people, living overly pack schedules, and use distraction techniques in order to deal with the busyness; then, chances are, the kids are going to grow up thinking such a life is "normal".
The bigger problem is that such a lifestyle makes the real priorities afterthoughts. In the midst of crazy-busy schedules, what really matters is lost. Parents should have the ability to tell their kids to put down the cell phone (most kids don't really need one anyway), to turn off the internet and/or gaming system without any problems. And this should not be a problem because the precedent should have already been set with respect to what really matters. And the process of setting this precedent should have happened long before kids even knew how to spell "Wii" or "cell phone".
This new set of "express games" from Hasbro are a joke because they make spending quality (and quantity) time with family a joke.
1 comment:
Oh, how you have hit it on the head!! My problem with parent/child relationships these days is that having a child for the already busy couple is "the next step" in the game. It is not about adding someone to teach, to love, to enjoy...It is really about making someone what they were not. Making the "best" kid out there. Unfortunately, most are getting it wrong from the start. Back in the day, my mom stayed home with us until I (the youngest of two) was in the fifth grade, my sister has been home with her three for over 12 yrs. now and I have been home for over four. Oh there are those couples out there saying "But if it is not possible then we MUST put our children in daycare". I say BULL. Quinn was a surprise from God arriving almost two yrs. after we married. Three months after he was born and I was staying at home with him, Josh lost his job. He went the whole year looking for a perm. job while working retail and delivering food. As shocking to most Americans these days, we went without cable (take a deep breath..o.k. is everyone able to go on), $40.00 a week grocery bill (Oh, minus the diapers and formula from that $40 and that does not leave much), no long distance, no cell phones, no dinners out, no movies, no air conditioning (not that we didn't have it...we did not use it to save money)...we scarificed to make it work and we never asked for government assistance. And we prayed...a lot!! At the end of the year God provided a real job for Josh and he kept his night job. Now we are in our own home with a backyard for Quinn to play in and Josh still works two jobs. Everyone tells us how well behaved our child is, how smart he is and we know that it is because we cared enough about his future that I stayed home with him. I saw a news story about how important family dinners are and that we should shoot for at least one night a week!!!! One night a week...how about every night. There is nothing (besides God) that is more impotant than the family you are growing. We can not get time back...we must do our best to enjoy each other now. I remember as a child having time to imagine, to sit on the porch and listen to my mom read us stories, to take walks (which sets me off on the amount of obese kids today)...there was more time for us that we did not have things to do and we did not get into trouble. I think that is the thing today...let's get them into every activity possible so they do not get into trouble. I could go on and on but I won't...I am with you on this one Carl!!!
Hugs,
A
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