Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / December 2009

Yea, I forgot that part.

#2 son, 11, lives and breaths video games.  I don't.  Playing a video
game (or, for that matter, watching TV), generally makes me think of
things I could be building with the time that I'm wasting.  I can
generally stand playing one for a few minutes, then it gets to be less
enjoyable than digging ditches (lots less: when you dig a ditch, you can
look back and see progress; with video games...).

So two years ago the kid bought me a game for the Nintendo DS, which I
never touched.  This year I find out that he's headed for Game Crazy to
get me a gift.  He had already tried to get a pedometer accessory for the
DS for my wife, so I knew what was coming.  I headed that one off, and he
was reasonably cheerful about it in a "grownups are weird" sort of way.

I ask my wife to intervene (Please no video games.  Please no DS games.  
Please no DS-based gizmos.  Please no video game accessories, etc.)  She
has the discussion with him (how often does dad play video games?  
Compare and contrast this with how often dad is in his shop building
planes!  Note that Dad mentioned that he'd never bring himself to buy one
of these nifty laser-cut kits, but he drools over them regularly, etc.)

I don't know how high the general tone of the conversation was, but I do
know that I ended up with a model kit, and not some bit of electronic kit
that I'll never use.  And I made sure that knows that I like it.  So
hopefully he's one step closer to understanding that you don't get a gift
for someone so you can use it (which he was doing at 8), you don't get a
gift for someone because once you force them to use it they'll like it
(which is probably payback for all the broccoli), no, you get a gift for
someone because you've observed they're behavior and you know _they'll_
like it.

I suppose I should make a point to build it soon, come to think of it, so
he can see it done and I can thank him again.  Hmm.  There's a slot
coming up that was going to get filled with a Martian Invader from
Mechanix Illustrated, but I guess parenting comes first...

So, that's the story.  Not much amazement, just the homey avoidance of
getting a game that I'd chew glass to avoid playing.

#1 son got me a very nice set of slippers, which I'm known to like, as my
last set was just about disintegrating on my feet.  Not to say that at 11
he wouldn't have thought it perfectly reasonable to get me video games,
too, then insist that I play them.

I was considering this for a similar project.  I have a boston pup(PP) that
may take it.

They do have teeninetsy motors too.
mk