My boys did learn stuff this summer. Promise.
They’ve been quite busy with surf camp, boogie boarding, bmxing and swimming. They’ve cycled along the rim of the Grand Canyon, hiked a river in Zion National Park and explored Angel Island in San Francisco. They really have done stuff.
But they’ve also discovered X-Box Live this summer. They’ve transitioned from playing with toys and now put on a headset, plan attacks on Modern Warfare and chat online with their friend in Seattle whilst they kill things. The teenage years seem to be approaching rapidly.
I have turned this into my advantage though. X-Box Live has become a currency in our house. For them to earn their X-Box time, they must do chores. I’ve been making them do chores in the past but it’s been painful to watch and they’re never done quite right. Rather like their father’s attempt at DIY, there’s lots of groaning and complaining, stopping, asking for a snack, complaining they’re exhausted. But now, with their X-Box Live time at stake, suddenly the dishwasher is emptied at top speed and reloaded, laundry has been carried down to the washing machine, the hoover has been whizzed around. I’m getting an excellent exchange rate at the moment and I’m hoping they don’t try and reduce it.
As they head back to school next week, I know that when their teachers ask them what they did during the summer, the response will be ‘played x-box live.’
So when they have to write that essay on the first day of school, you know, that one about what they did this summer, my boys could write:
- I watched bald eagles soar overhead at Lake Sammamish
- I cycled ten miles on my mountain bike along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon admiring mighty vistas
- I hiked into the Narrows through a river in Zion National Park on a day deemed high risk for flash floods (no, my parents aren’t very responsible.)
- I learned to surf the waves and hang ten
Yes, I’d like to think that they would write something poetic like that but here’s how it will go.
This summer I played X-Box Live. I have now Prestiged and have an AK-47. I have achieved a three-kill streak and have mastered the sniper rifle.
The End.
Please believe me though, they did do other stuff, honest.
{ 6 comments }
Our family if prone to electronic device addicitions (I’m talking about the kids, not me) so think it is best to stay away from the xBox, at least for now.
I’m a witness! My boy had so much fun at BMX camp with yours! And I’ll have to keep your currency in mind for the day he eventually gets an X-Box…
Goodness, that sounds just like our house, only the addiction here is the Wii. I reckon I could go away for a week and come back and find them on the Wii with a box of cereal on the floor next to them and they probably wouldn’t have noticed I had gone!
Hmmm, good idea about working for XBox Live. At the moment, he doesn’t ‘go live’ but would love to and chores are done for chores sake. I believe everything would be done with much more attention to detail and without my telling him to if XBox Live were at stake! Thanks for the idea
I really LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of using Xbox live as currency! I wonder if that will work on my boyfriend somehow. Hmmm…you’ve got my wheels turning…
I’m going to do that with computer/Nintendo time!
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