[On the school Fronter system, when a pop-up asks whether we want to allow an .exe file to run]
Mum: Do we want a program to run?
Boy: No! Press cancel! When you get a message like that, you HAVE to say ‘no’. Otherwise it will run – you know like the Coach tells us to run in PE?
Mum: Yes?
Boy: Well it will run like that – and that’s bad. DON’T let it run.
D: Can I play on Temple Run today?
Me: It’s up to Vikki, if she’s OK with it, then so am I – but remember that people come first.
D: I KNOW people come first… but I don’t know what it means.
Me: It means that, if you’re playing on a game and a real person talks to you, you must LISTEN to that person. And, if they say you have to stop playing, you have to stop playing. Without getting angry. And, if you have a choice between playing with friends or playing by yourself on a game, you should choose playing with your friends.
D: And I know what you can do so you can listen – you can DIE on the game!
Me: Yes – sometimes people choose to lose on purpose – and that’s OK.
D: Yeah, so you don’t do it by accident… You DO lose points though.
[We’re now trialling a week without monster games, following a spate of nightmares about monster creatures and broken nights]
D: It’s an Easter card for you mum. It’s an Easter egg hunt picture. You have to find all the Easter eggs, BUT! There’s a problem, because some of them are trick balls! So can you find the Easter Eggs?
Me: Is that one?
D: Yes! You’ve got 105 points.
Me: Is that one?
D: No. That’s a trick ball. 104 points.
etc….
D: When I grow up I want to be a postman.
Me: Do you? Why is that?
D: So I don’t have to go to work like you and my dad, and I’ll get to deliver all the letters.
Me: But being a postman IS going to work.
D: But I want to work differently.
Me: OK. How do you think postmen work differently?
D: Umm… They go to work and earn some money so they can go out an deliver all the letters afterwards?
Me: Delivering the letters IS what earns them money. Why don’t you want to go to work like me or your dad?
D: Because I don’t want to go there every day and sit in front of a computer every day and go “Uh, I’m so bored!” [rolls eyes]
Me: Is that what you think we both do? Don’t you think we do anything exciting?
D: Well, what else would there be that’s exciting that I could do?
Me: What would you WANT to do?
D: …They wouldn’t have this – I’d like to play Angry Birds!
Me: There ARE people who play Angry Birds and other games – not where I work – but at other places, where they build the games and have to test that they work.
D: THAT’S what I’d like to do! Play Angry Birds and test it!
Me: That would be a lot of time in front of a computer. When would you fit in your science experiments? Would you do Angry Birds some days and science experiments on other days?
D: Ah yes – I could be a scientist and play Angry Birds AFTER, when I get home from work! …I probably won’t be interested in Angry Birds when I’m VERY old will I? – When I’ve got a REALLY long, white beard…
Me: No, you’ll probably be interested in different things by then.
[Post-publish note: Angry Birds is now banned due to repetitive angry and obsessive behaviour whilst, and immediately after, playing!]
D: What were you doing at home today?
Me: I was working from home today because I felt a bit poorly.
D: But what have you been DOING, working?
Me: I’ve been writing lots of words on the computer and emailing lots of people.
D: That’s not work – that sounds like FUN! I wish I could do that.
iwantmarbles 