Quick Gem of the Day: Can I do math?
As I was tucking my boys into bed, we talked about limits on computer time. My youngest said, great, after out computer time can we do math time too? What planet did I get my kid from? Do other kids really ask to do anything even remotely related to school? I normally can’t even prompt them to even read a book!
More than likely this request was prompted by hearing how another friend’s computer time was tied to practicing math skills before hand. Regardless of how the idea came to him, it’s still pretty cool that he even brought it up.
Sadly, I have no great desire to have any sort of summer school while my kids are laying low between June and September. I know that keeping up with skills they learned during the school year makes the jump back to school all that much easier, and helps prime them for learning right from the get go. But, I also relish the lazy days of summer with no major commitments and a very loosely followed schedule that rotates around playing, the pool and trying to come up with ways to work up their imagination–which to me is mostly just: go play outside!
But, these sweltering summer days of late, make prodding them to play outside more difficult, and just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I barely even want to venture to the curb to pick up my morning paper, let alone spend much significant amount of time outside right now. Even jaunts to the pool with the sun baking and humidity so high doesn’t sound so terrific when it is this hot. So, as a result, they are probably getting a lot more computer time than I would normally tolerate. The current fad of the week is playing Sims. I’m really torn as the content definitely deals with adult concepts–courting, getting married, characters getting pregnant–but it is all blurred out and dumbed down and the images suggest what might be happening. I’ve been talking through the game like one might view TV with mature content with their kids. I’m sure many folks would be appalled that I’d let them play this game, but I have to say I really like that they have to work with a budget, do a ton of reading, and figure out how to manage their mini lives.
I know that I will need to reel them in, and persuade them to do other things to stimulate their minds, such as the math that is requested, but seeing them play together, and figure out solutions together does not seem to be such a bad thing to me–at least it limited doses.
I really do hope this heatwave breaks soon, as I do enjoy dragging my kids out and about, and tossing them to the curb to figure out for themselves how to have some fun. Because unfortunately, this type of weather also makes it hard for me to become motivated to do a whole lot either. So, come mother nature, let’s get back to a more normal summer temperatures so it’s a little easier to frolic in the outdoors…