Kelli Traaseth

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephanie Elms" <stephanie.elms@...>

**I was not going to say he could not play it but wanted to try to
figure out how to explain to him what I did not like about it - it was one
of those
games where you are behind the gun and go around shooting people who start
spurting
blood). But before I could post, I realized that he had stopped playing
it.**

Same thing happened to us.

I was also feeling this way about Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

My 10 ds, wanted to rent it, so we did. I was watching him play it
and in part of it you kill people in different ways. One was you could
beat them with a golf club, the blood comes out onto the pavement.
Ewwww,,,it really bothered me. You can keep beating this person. Sent
chills down my spine. The kids see it so differently though, seeing it so
much as a game and such.

Well, I was sitting there with knots in my stomach, trying to figure out
how to talk with them about how I was feeling. They lost interest. The
part they liked was driving vehicles around. They played it maybe for 2
hours and then put in Spyro. Alec said it really wasn't very exciting.
(Although I liked the music it played, <g> all this 80's stuff from high
school).

So he decided on his own that it wasn't worth his time. I didn't get to
talk with him about it very much, which I'm wondering now if I should.
But now its gone. I might bring it up sometime, why it did bother me, but
I dodn't want him to feel guilty for playing it.

I am so realizing that we are all sensitive to different things. He wasn't
bothered by Vice City, but then really had a hard time watching Robin Hood:
Prince of Thieves, (I had mentioned this before on this list).

It does show how much we can truly trust our children. It blows me away
that I never knew this before we started unschooling. Had never been
exposed to this kind-of thinking. Its so radical for so many people.
Unfortunately.


I really wish more people knew this. Some more shouting from the rooftops!
"YOU CAN TRUST YOUR CHILDREN!" <sigh>



Kelli

Heidi

But before I could post, I realized that he had stopped playing
> it.**

>
> So he decided on his own that it wasn't worth his time. I didn't
get to
> talk with him about it very much, which I'm wondering now if I
should.
> But now its gone.
> I really wish more people knew this. Some more shouting from the
rooftops!
> "YOU CAN TRUST YOUR CHILDREN!" <sigh>
>
>


Sort of off topic, in a tangential kind of way L LOL

I have a 23 year old son, who was with me until he was 14, and then
went to live with his dad. (cutting a LOOONG, bitter story short) His
dad's family is poisonous, and I really didn't want him there. My mom
tried taking him for awhile, but he wanted his dad and his dad's
family. (more cutting) dad's sister introduced him to Meth :( and he
ended up in prison for three years, from age 17 to age 20. And WENT
TO LIVE WITH HIS DAD'S FAMILY!!!!! and I was in anguish, but my wise
dad said "He's an adult. His choice. His life. Let him choose and
leave him be. We don't have to agree, and we are allowed to tell him
so, but it's HIS life." And so I swallowed my tongue and developed an
ulcer, hating that he had gone to his paternal gramma's house...(six
more months passed)

He was able to see, without my nagging him and fretting at him, with
his own two eyes, how chaotic and dysfunctional his dad's family is,
and he moved out of there ON HIS OWN. I didn't tell him to, I didn't
ask him to. He just DID IT. Still goes over and says hello, but will
never move in over there EVER again. And if I'd had my way, he'd
moved in with us, or with my mom and dad, and still been craving his
dad's family...

HeidiC who sees this self-learning in ALL her kids!