My daughters have been teaching me how to play SIMS 2 on the computer. We had a dreadfully wet and rainy weekend this past weekend–nonstop downpours with dark clouds and blustery leaves. No one wanted to go outside even to get a jug of milk. So once we’d watched all the movies, my almost-eighteen-year-old got out the computer games and the three of us built our homes and families and I struggled along to learn how to play.
By all practical standards, we might all three be considered “too old” for such activities. I have certainly never been one to get overly interested in video or computer games–not even the Packman of my generation! Neither are my daughters the type who can while away an entire weekend playing a computer game–but I have to admit it was great fun and quite the bonding experience! At one point, in my early education, I had a daughter on each side of me helping me to learn how to work the keyboard–it was a bit overwhelming as these graphically sophisticated computer games move a bit quicker and are more complicated than what I have known in the past. I have a hard time keeping up with who is doing what (and what I am supposed to be doing).
With sandwich breaks and debating strategy and personalities that we had created for our characters, we had all sorts of conversations and spent more time interacting as a threesome than we have in YEARS. I suppose I learned an important lesson about bonding and parenting teenagers–sometimes, it just doesn’t matter WHAT you are doing, as long as you find a way to connect over something and do something together. I do not imagine computer and video games can be all bad if they allowed my nearly-grown daughters and I a couple rainy day’s worth of pleasant shared companionship!
Also: Still Reading the Toy Catalogs