WDWFREAK53 said:
Proof...what was the hottest item this year for Christmas? How about last year? How about the year before that? XBox360, Furbies, Tickle Me Elmo's, Playstations, etc. (All toys that "lay the fun out for the kids"). When was the last time kids went "Ga-Ga" over a simple doll like a Cabbage Patch or an action figure like He-Man or GI Joe?
My little girl turned 5 last month (jan 2006). She
BEGGED Santa for an Amazing Amanda doll and Scamps and Furby. So, Santa delivered. She also asked for a kitten (white, sweet girl kitten, pwease!) Santa delivered that too. (btw Amazing Amanda was an amazing $98!!!) She has played w/Amanda for maybe 45 minutes total since Christmas morning. You have to have timing to be able to interact w/her and my Amazing Amber :animwink: just gets frustrated, wants to answer too quickly and starts yelling.
She has played w/Scamps some more than Amanda. Furby is useless and unintelligible.
My DD gets her My Little Pony collection and reindeer collection (y, she has several reindeer!) and a carriage and pretends all sorts of games and scenarios and races with those things. She has abandoned Amanda for her "naked" baby doll that is inanimate (sp?), but you can put its thumb in its mouth.
I REFUSE to have a PS, Gamecube, Xbox, whatever in my house. #1 reason is b/c my D
H would get sucked into it and never return! :hammer: #2 reason is because we already have 2 wireless laptops w/games and the internet and that is too much. (We each have laptops from work that we bring home each night.)
I allow DD to play on
noggin.com or something else. She naturally chooses the things there that require her to color in pictures or draw something - activities that require imagination and creativity. (This makes me proud of DD.)
...... My thoughts/reasoning on why a computer is ok and a game console is not-as-ok are this...... As DD grows up and enters school and college and the work-force, computer skills will be necessary. I don't have the same opinion on game-playing skills. I know the arguments about hand-eye coordination. Using a mouse or a touch-pad accomplishes similar hand-eye coordination without the hypnotic state.:hammer:
We read almost every night (wish it were every night, but sometimes we're all just too tired. :snore: ). She begs for her night-night story to be from her Bible story books. She is starting to read too and reads the words she knows and learns 1 new word each night minimum. We gave her a cute little pink leather Bible for her 5th b'day and she treasures it. We waited until it would mean something to her and boy! does she! We have read the 1st chapter of Genesis already and she is fascinated with the Creation story there.
I
KNOW we're not doing a perfect job as parents and most of her good characteristics seemed to be nature (vs nurture). She has always been a very sweet child and has always imagined the funniest and biggest and most unique things! But I think that we are guiding her in a good direction here.
I see friends and family with children that allow them entirely too much time on the PS, Xbox, etc. Then I also see some of those same kids get excited over playing in the box that the refrigerator came in. There is a balance somewhere that those w/game consoles must find.
I choose not to search for that balance. I choose no game machines!!!
BTW... 7 days till next trip to WDW.
Staying at Pop Century. Character meals at Princess Storybook (dinner), 1900 Park Fair (breakfast), Breakfastasaurus (breakfast, duh) and then adults-choice Le Cellier (no characters but good steaks!)
1st time doing dining plan
1st time doing Magical Express
1st time as a family to stay on-site
