I’m not sure modern parents spend enough time talking to their children about the past, me included. It’s a fine line, because you don’t want to sound nostalgic or out of touch, but kids can learn from their parents’ past experiences.
I’m fond of recalling how Michael, 13, knew the names of about 300 Pokemons when he was eight.
I said to him if he had known that many Italian words at that age he’d be speaking the language today.
We were discussing the other night how much time James, 5, spends on the computer and playing Nintendo games, which Michael didn’t have access to at the same age.
I couldn’t help but mention how there were no computers, videos, electronic games, etc at all when I was a boy.
“What did you do when you were bored?” one asked.
I used to play cricket, or if by myself I read an encyclopaedia.
The kids laughed. The concept of anyone reading an encyclopaedia for pleasure was foreign to them. If they need to know something, they search Google.
I remember reading our encyclopedias for fun. It was a paper version of Stumble Upon.
I remember playing board games, Barbie Dolls, Kick the Can, Tag, and camping out in the backyard. It’s fun to watch kids learn with the things we never saw growing up. Of course, there WERE electronics when I was a kid. I remember when we got our first VCR and our first Microwave (no more air popping the popcorn and melting our own butter), OH, and the first TV that wasn’t a console. And don’t get me started about trading the crank Ice Cream maker for an electric one! Times change, for sure.
Twitter: delmerw
says:
Not long ago my middle child and I were taking a walk. The whole time we strolled he went over the details of Pokemon-like characters and their special skills. While it was impressive, when the conversation was over I couldn’t help but think he’d be better off if he’d stick some math facts in his head.
When I was little, let’s say right around 1969-70 (when I was 9 and 10), I used to play baseball with my next-door neighbor. Just the two of us. It involved a lot of ghost runners on bases.
I can remember riding my bike at weekends through the Flinders Ranges, to get to the next town, 50ks there, 50ks back. Being 12 years old, alone in the bush was not scary back then…now parents tend to be nervous and overprotective about their children, kids are not allowed to explore or enjoy an adventure, thats a bit sad.
Also the games were creative and imaginative.
Hopscotch was my thing, drawing an area on the footpath with chalk and using a stone, throwing it to the inside of each graph, and hopping on one foot without stepping outside the graph.
As a 5 year old, I also enjoyed a mean game of marbles, and had my favorite yellow alley.
My fiend up the road, she and I always had something exciting on. Going to the dump, visiting the cemetary, milking the cow, helping separate the cream, and the best bit was taking the fresh thick cream home to eat on bread and jam.
Twitter: mgorey
says:
I used to ride my bike long distances too, often solo.
Hopscotch was mainly a girl’s game. Poison ball was fun when there were enough kids around.
At school we used to play four square and downball.