Learning from the grandsons
Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 10:47AM 
The red hat with earflaps - the fashion acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
After a busy but enjoyable four-day weekend, it's tough getting back in the blogging spirit. The LWW and I have fed the masses (27) on Thanksgiving, had a great visit with my mom, sister, brother and his family, and enjoyed the longer stay of my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons. And now it's just a quiet, snowy Sunday. Almost too quiet.
I am always somewhat astounded by the degree to which my grandsons, ages seven and three, are little mass-media tech-heads. This despite their parents being genuinely cautious about how much access the boys have to the computer, video games, and television. They can't seem to NOT be Net Genners from whom I always learn a good deal...
- Part of the appeal of coming to this grandpa and grandma's house (beside the sugared cereal) is permission to play the Captain Underpants games on the Dave Pilkey website. Who knew?
- One distinction between Boba Fett and Jango Fett from Star Wars is that one has two pistols and the other only has one. This but a scintilla of the encyclopedic information that both the seven-year-old and three-year-old have about the Star Wars mythos.I hope some day they will learn their world history as well.
- There are 414 different products that appear in the Amazon.com toy area when the term "lego star wars" is searched. The boys are still missing one or two, it seems. And I thought reviewing these offerings would be an easy way to get Christmas gift ideas.
- Grandpa's iPod was a hit. The battery doesn't last as long in the hands of kids. As the LWW observed, this, the iPod, is the computer that today's kids will always want.
- Not having a DVR (like Tivo) makes me an pitiable antique. "We have to watch commercials?"
- Despite being raised in an aggressively non-violent household (is that an oxymoron?), both boys delight in hand-held weaponry. Their uncle's old Nerf shooters are particularly prized. So many computer games involve blasting something, it isn't all that surprising, I suppose. That along with the that Y-chromosome.
- The movie Bolt was a much better movie than I expected and great fun in 3-D. Well, it was fun for five of us - the three-year-old refused to wear the glasses and watched it in fuzzy 2-D. Depite the ready availablity of DVDs of lots of movies at home, it seems going to the theater is still special and desired. Must be the popcorn.
- Even my small computer-loving grandsons still delight bookstores. And Grandpa is usually good for a couple of additions to the home library. The boys also still delight in reading. Thank goodness.
- The movie Wall-E is even better the second viewing. And I felt the picture was better watching it in Blu-ray here at home than in the theater.
- Why does McDonalds put video games in its playland areas? I don't mind the kids being too excited to eat wanting to go on the slides and such, but too excited wanting to play a Ronald McDonald video game? Uh, super-size that chance at childhood obesity, please.
- Kids won't eat beets even when Grandpa makes them.
- When Dad announced it was time to go home, the little grandson started to cry. Kind of how I felt too.
A recent MacArthur sponsored report, Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project, argues for youth access to online resources:
Many adults worry that children are wasting time online, texting, or playing video games. The researchers explain why youth find these activities compelling and important. The digital world is creating new opportunities for youth to grapple with social norms, explore interests, develop technical skills, and experiment with new forms of self-expression. These activities have captured teens’ attention because they provide avenues for extending social worlds, self-directed learning, and independence.
I believe balance is needed. I am very glad my grandsons are still involved in Cub Scouts, swimming lessons, and other non-computerized activities. Very glad.
Raising children to be well-rounded, hard-working adults with a good value system has never been an easy job. Quite honestly, I don't envy my daughter and son-in-law this challenging task that seems more difficult today than ever. But my grandsons are delightful young men - smart, funny and beautiful - so their parents must be doing something right.
Objectively speaking.
Reader Comments (10)
Doug, love the picture!!
BTW, for fun, I asked my 9 year old what the diff was between the Fetts...and he knew! I was shocked. What a surprise to realize that there's so much important stuff grown-ups DO NOT notice around them. Isn't it great that our children do?
I wish he blogged. . .maybe call it, "What I Noticed that Dad Missed"
;->
Thanks for sharing! The photo alone was worth the blog post.
Loved hearing about grandchildren, I so desperately want some of my own, but none of my 4 offspring have shown any interest. As to guns, it's the Y chromosome all the way. My research (okay, it's one of my kids and I am female and sort of have a bit of bias towards those Y chromosomes.) shows that way back in 1979, before we had ANY video games in our house, and we banned all guns, toy or otherwise, my first born would make a gun out of a wooden block of the similar shape. It was my first lesson in parenting futility, and in hindsight an example of "choose your battles." We eventually caved on squirt guns and one birthday present from a friend, of a toy six shooter. And I am happy to say neither son has any fascination with real guns today or super aggression to other human beings, which might be all we can ask for. (Altho' it didn't really help one of the kid's lacrosse career.)
GREAT photo! Oh the boys (age doesn't seem to matter it seems) never grow out of this video fascination--or the weird need to know about weapons in general. Being from the south, i was mildly disappointed at no snow in the photo-op. We had continuous rain throughout much of the four day weekend, which made for a slow ride home today. But the Blue Skunk was the first thing I opened in my reader this evening, b/c I knew you'd have a way to cheer me up. Beautiful child in the picture. So happy and content. And oh yeah, it does seem that acorn did not fall far from the tree.
It sounds like you had a holiday, just the way all holidays should be! Thanks for sharing.
You both look adorable! I'm delighted to hear that your grandsons are such good company: obviously it is an inherited trait.
Hi Miguel,
Thanks for the kind words about the picture. Even I was pleased!
My question is how to we get kids to absorb as many facts about history and science as they do about Star Wars???
Doug
Hi Janet,
Yeah, I do think shooting at things is genetically coded into little boys. I’ve seen Barbie dolls substitute as pistols! Ah, well. I guess we don’t have to encourage it. (Although Grandpa thinks a good Nerf battle is great fun!)
All the best,
Doug
Hi Cathy,
You missed your chance to say the grandson looks just like me! ;-)
It snowed all day yesterday. But I think I will wait until it’s a bit deeper to take a picture.
All the best,
Doug
Thanks, Jim. It was a great holiday. I hope yours was good as well.
All the best,
Doug
Hi Alice,
Now that I look at the picture again, I guess the little boy is cute too. Thanks for calling it to my attention ;-)
The grands are demanding but always fun. Two very smart parents so I suppose it is to be expected.
All the best,
Doug
I have my own "why we go to meema and papa's house for Thanksgiving"...
(1) The computer is at our house, but the typewriter is at grandparents - who knew typing would be so fun?
(2) My neice is Washington could likely answer all Star Wars questions - she didn't make it down here this Thanksgiving
(3) If it was socially acceptable, I would have more Lego's than my daughters
(4) Grandparents still don't have an iPod - but they have moved to CD's (no more records or 8-tracks)
(5) No Tivo at grandparents, but they do have a split screen TV - two Thanksgiving football games at the same time!
(6) Wrestling in the back rooms beats Nerf guns here
(7) Bolt was good - maybe Disney needs to spend more time on main characters that they do on side kicks (I thought the hampster was too funny). Grandpa also helps with movie tickets when we go with them...
(8) Books rock! My girls love bookstores, and I make sure to let them buy at least one book every time we go
(9) WALL-E rocks! I start teaching my Robotics class next semester, so now I have a movie to play for those students (I use TRON for my AP Computer Science students)
(10) How about treadmills in McDonalds? Or at least a longer maze line to get ot the counter...
(11) BEETS?! Seriously?
(12) We only live 20 minutes from my parents, so no crying.
Here's to three short weeks, and then two long weeks of Christmas break!
Great post, great picture.
But. No TiVo!? Seriously? Aw, man, you gotta...
Well, I'll let Ira Glass from NPRs "This American Life" sell you on it...
Ira Glass on TiVo:
"Married people always want you to get married, people with kids always think you'll be happier with kids, and TiVo owners always believe your life won't truly begin until the day you get TiVo. God knows I believe that. I love TiVo. We actually have two TiVo boxes in my house, hooked up to our one TV. TiVo is based on an idea that doesn't sound so radically life-transforming when you first hear it. You tell a machine what TV shows you like, and it records every episode of them for you. Then when you come home at night, there's a whole list of episodes of The Family Guy you can watch, there's last night's Daily Show, there's every episode of Celebrity Poker Showdown. TV itself is transformed, from a blur of channels you flip through – most of them lousy – to a concise and hope-inspiring list of shows you actually enjoy. Which means that every time you turn on the TV, there's something good on! Always! Every single time! That dramatically changes your life for the better, in ways my sad TiVo-less friends can't even imagine. I'm such a corny and boosterish TiVo user that I've bought it as a present for friends and family. I shouldn't be here endorsing it at all. Yes, they're our newest sponsor but they didn't ask me to write this and they're not paying me for it or anything and actually, I think it's sort of unbecoming for a public radio host to endorse any product. But here I am. I love TiVo. You're nuts if you don't get one. That's what I truly believe and I'm happy to tell the world." – Ira
Ninja,
If I have any money left after Christmas, I'll look into a TIVO. Since the only TV I watch is the Daily Show, this might expand my horizons. And heaven knows they need expanding.
All the best,
Doug
Hi Kenn,
These are great! Thanks.
I hope you get Legos for Christmas from Santa.
Doug