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-=- If I let the kids use the pc or

tv as much as they wanted then there would be an endless fight over who's
turn it was and fights get really old, really fast.-=-

Here, whoever's playing or on e-mail or whatever can stay on as long as they
need to, until they're done. If another has said "I'm next," then it's their
turn next, whether it's a half an hour or three hours or five minutes. If
someone has emergency need to check e-mail or they need to record a show or
something, they ask for cuts and GET cuts, because it's rare to ask.

-=-this happens all the time. If I am totally involved in

something and the kids, animals, chores, meals or whatever needs my attention

I stop and take care of it. Isn't that something that too needs to be
learned?-=-

Sure, but YOU learned and decided what was important, it wasn't being
arbitrarily decided outside you.

Playing before dogs are fed wouldn't happen--there are priorities. But if
the clock is a priority over the children's interests, maybe children's inte
rests aren't being considered sufficiently. And games have pausing places.
If moms say "When you can pause, please go bring wood in" it's infinitely
better than "Turn that off right now and get me some wood."

Ah---I had already used wood gathering before I read the rest of the message
(because it snowed here and I had boys bring wood in last night, even
company-visitor boys).

<<Or do you disagree and think I

should still allow my kids to do what they wish whenever they wish? >>

I didn't say whenever, I said however long. I was questioning arbitrary time
limits. Books aren't intrinsically better than moving pictures and
interactive media. If that's true, why not just read homeschooling books
instead of e-mail lists and bulletin boards?

<< I think it is important that every

family decide what is best for their family. >>

I think anyone making a decision can benefit from more input and ideas.

<<How many levels does a typical Nintendo game have? I worry that "finished"
can take a huge amount of time to achieve.>>

I mean "finished" for then. When you're reading a book, don't you sometimes
pick a satisfying stopping place instead of stopping right in the middle of a
paragraph? Like that. And in the case of a game, stopping where the game
can be saved/backed up.

The end of a game, like the last page of a really good novel, can be a
letdown, because something really provocative has ended.

<<My 6 year old is asking for Nintendo, which he enjoys playing when he

visits his cousins. What would be a cheap way to gratify his wishes? Can

I get an old model and buy mostly used games?>>

YES. I'd recommend Super Nintendo, because you can still get used ones (and
maybe even still new ones). Original NES is no longer supported by anyone.
And you can get used games for $10 or sometimes less.
http://www.gamestop.com/jump/ if there aren't places near you that sell used
games and systems. [Amalia's right--if they've played N64 Super will seem
small to them, but on the other hand, my kids play with all of them. There
was a long, hard game of an old Ninja Turtle four-player game this morning,
because we have company and they were looking for something older kids could
do with younger kids (with the house full, people still asleep here and
there, and snow outside). TMNT it was.

<< Last Christmas we got a reconditioned SuperNinendo (including a warranty!)
for a sibling group for about $40 at Funcoland. >>

Funcoland is out of business (sold to Gamestop within the last month).

<<I can't fuss too much-------I still have a turntable and a shelf full of
vinyl LPs! >>

Oh.... me too. <g> And we have a whole drawerful of original Nintendo games,
most bought used. Marty and I bought Kirby a game for Christmas that he
didn't already have, for the regular, and he sat and played it for hours in
the first few days after Christmas even though he had also gotten the new
Zelda game for 64. Just because somone has a shelf full of hardbound,
color-illustrated books doesn't mean a cheap paperback isn't going to have a
great story!!

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<< << I think it is important that every
family decide what is best for their family. >>

<<<>

Hi, I wrote the top line. And when I said it I did not say that I or my
husband do not listen to our kid's input or ideas. If we did not listen then
I would not have 5 puppies in my house right now. ( I use raising dogs as
examples because it is my kid's new project/job. They wanted to try raising
and training dogs for hopeful profit and their Dad and I agreed to let them.)
What I meant was that we are all in different situations. As our lives differ
so does the way we decide how we wish to live them. Sandra mentioned that
letting her children play video games/tv as long as they wish works in her
family. And her children often choose not to play the games at all. If this
concept works in her family who am I to say they should change. If it is
working then more power to them. All I can really do is look at my family and
see what works. My children have made choices. Of course they can change
their minds and often do but when they have made commitments they have to
stick with them. There is not enough time around here for anyone to be on the
psx or computer very long. My kids are the ones with the dog business. When
they started this they agreed that dogs need to be exercised daily at least
once. Pens need to be cleaned, pups trained, feeding 3 times a day, houses
built, more pens added. The list goes on. By giving the kids a set amount of
time they can play the video games then it is fair. (The girls said that if
the boys could play all they wanted they would never get on again.lol) Then
if there is more free time I do not care how the kids spend it. And if they
all want to use the pc then we quickly figure how much freetime they have and
then divide it up to make it fair. I want to stress that I do not yell at
them to get off the "whatever" right now. But we did discuss this. I am not
the one that said "hey why don't you get 10 dogs and tie yourselves down". I
am the one that agreed to let them try what they wanted to do. And if I have
to remind them that it is chores before play around here then I do, because
animals cannot wait until there is a good time to pause in a game. This is my
family, and this is working. We are not working fools. The puppies are fun,
and the grown dogs are loving, and we are working together and learning as we
go.
What works in my family may very well flop in yours. Isn't that one very
big problem in public schools treating all the kids the same though they are
so different. I am not sure what I am trying to say is getting across. I
suppose it is that giving out ideas and thoughts is great and we can all pick
and choose what we can use. But for me to say that your family should be
jogging 3 times a day( or whatever, fill in the blank) would be wrong. I
might tell you how much my family jogs but that does not mean it is what you
or your family should do.

Candy, who has gone on too long