For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 22, 2009

Let boys be boys. The point is they are spending time with one another, having fun.

There are goals-Win. There are moral values-be a good sport. There is educational value-hand eye coordination, and dont lose.

If she hates video games so much (specifically this one), then why are there 2 shelves full of what looks like more video games? if she objects to him playing these games she shouldn’t have bought them in the 1st place.

@ crazyasabull

I don’t think Elly hates video games, just this particular game. I agree, it sounds gross and disgusting. Just the sort of thing a little boy (or a big one, for that matter) would love.

She could get even if she wanted. She could cook liver and spinach for dinner.

Let boys be boys Mom!

“The Cheese Wheel Murders” — clever.

“The Cheese Wheel Murders” — clever.

I suspect we will have a similar situation in our house (their Dad has at least 50 computer games). I don’t have a real issue with it so long as the games aren’t inappropriately violent (Doom at age 4) and the girls get to play too, if they want. I’m not sure why boys/men get to have all the naughty fun and girls/women are the conscience (“should be educational”) but it should switch sometimes.

Meh. I won’t even have a game console in my home. No sympathy for Elly on this one.

Edited to add:

and sharing a video game is not “quality time.”

el.. try to find a multi player game that all of you can play together.

If there’s a toy that I really, really don’t like (usually given by a friend), then it will magically disappear.

Come on Ellie, it’s not like it’s a mindless entertainment - then Michael would just be lying on the couch starring at the screen. Whatever the content, it’s engaging him, making him think, react; and even if it has no educational value, there’s still something to be said about fantastic adventures and exploration of the abstract, to spark creativity.

Checkers and scrabble are intellectually stimulating? News to me!

Far as I’m concerned, the only reason for playing games, be they cards, boards, or video, is that they provide an excuse to get together with other people. And when the game gets in the way of that, it’s time to stop playing.

I say any time spent together is QUALITY time, no matter what you’re doing!

GretchensMom

Not necessarily so. TV and video games are most often a means for people to be int he same room together without interacting at all. I have seen father/son play games like that for hours without saying more than “pass the chips.”

I can’t get into video games. While father and son play Eli could do something else maybe take a nice relaxing bubblebath or go somewhere and shop. Me I rather go someplace quite and read.

Wilderness, but at the same time, videogames and tv can be used for interaction.

I agree with kab, instead of complaining, Elly could write, or do something she would enjoy.

Wilderness, wrong - having fun with your dad doesn’t need talking, just the kid knowing that dad’s around and wanting to share his fun is def better than nothing.

My kids’ friends envy them having a mom that wants to play computer games with them, we used to sit together with the Harry Potter games and try to find out ways to win. I liked it at least as much as they did. Now we all play a couple of Facebook games, swapping ingredients and such. Nothing wrong with that. (and yes, we also DO sit down and play Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and more). It all counts as family time.

My husband has been a World of Warcraft addict almost since it was released 5 years ago. About 6 months ago, I started playing with him and now we spend a lot more time together having fun when we used to sit in different rooms enjoying different pursuits all the time. There is enough strategy involved with playing a MMORPG together that we interact and even argue and blame one another for mistakes, but it’s all in fun and I love being able to relate to his “addiction” instead of being on the sidelines. Truth be told, I am becoming an addict myself…..

These new strips are great! :D