We've done all sorts of experiments with video game schedules in this house. We don't want to be completely out of this world, but we don't want to roll in the muck either. We just want balance. Is that too much to ask? We used to limit video games to weekends, but then we had the problem of the unmotivated homeschooler... So we allowed video games every day, as long as schoolwork and chores were done. Now we are dealing with an over-motivated homeschooler that has too much time on his hands and feels punished for working hard if I pile on more work to fill the extra hours...
I don't mind that they play on these dark, rainy winter days. If they aren't tranquilized by the soothing glow of the screen, they are jumping on each other and breaking my furniture. And this doesn't exclude the girls either.
My furniture isn't the only reason I don't mind video games this time of year. I've realized that my teen boys need to hunt and kill monsters. It's just part of their biology. But I have also tried to communicate with the boys about fight or flight and how it affects their bodies. "The reason you are so grumpy is because you have all these molecules floating around in your body, but you haven't done the physical exertion part of the equation. You have to break those down. Go for a run." Whether or not they take me up on my advice is up to them. If they get grumpy, I'll just ground them from screens.
The other thing I've noticed about video game time, especially Minecraft time, is, well, it's a long sentence so I'll break it down. There is a reason Minecraft is being used as an educational tool in schools. Homeschoolers are not allowed to use the Educraft software (jerks), but I've perused some of the lesson plans. I can tell you that my kids are coming up with these ideas on their own. I do not need to tell them to build an exact copy of our house or create a community where you and three other players work cooperatively to solve a problem or if you need x blocks of jungle wood to create wood panels, how many pieces of jungle wood do you need to gather to create a floor for a house 20 by 30 blocks? They are doing this themselves and I just sit back and watch.
While I sit back and watch, they (even Ian) show me what they are working on. "Look at this. Isn't it cool?" The communication channels open right up. I ask questions, they give me answers. It is a beautiful thing, people. When we did a fun little quiz on Facebook where I ask the kids questions about me, Daniel said the thing he enjoys doing with me was playing Minecraft. Tuesday nights, when all the older kids are gone and Daniel has washed all the dishes (really-he washes all the dishes by hand), we play Minecraft together. I usually just sit in a hole while he plays (I do have three littler kids to take care of), but we have fun. And I think this will motivate him to read because I won't tell him what things are. Ian and Shane said the thing they enjoy doing with me is playing video games while I watch. This didn't really hurt my feelings-I mean, what teenage boy enjoys spending time with his mom? Or would even admit it if they did? But I realized that even just sitting in the same room while they play is quality time together. And that made me feel a lot better about things around here!
