Child’s
Play?
Sitting here on a Sunday evening, my
mind is wandering to the possibility that every games player in
the world is subconsciously involved in the notion of designer
babies. Is the game character we choose as our personal hero the
one we most identify with? Or, to put it another way, are we looking
for a little version of ourselves to raise and save the world?
The feeling of overwhelming pride as we take
home our shrink-wrapped bundle of joy… The sudden urge to
contact friends and inform them of your new arrival, even invite
them round to "wet the baby's head" with a few beers
and nibbles.
Few can deny the level to which you can be drawn
into a game, and most of us will admit to blaming the character
for losing a battle or not quite making that all important leap.
Most will also admit to screaming at their once-hero to perform
better and faster.
Jack The Nipper. “That child
should be in bed!”
It is our role as a parent to teach a child
all of the required abilities to fulfil its potential. Training
levels on games may be interpreted as a way of familiarising yourself
with the controls, but they could also be seen as a chance to
watch your baby take its first steps and say your name for the
first time – a chance for them to really enter your life
and get ready to share your dreams and adventures.
I think every parent would confirm that when
they look at their child they see a little bit of themselves.
Therefore is it more than a coincidence that Jonny (‘nitebycandlelite’),
who will freely admit that his childhood hero was Sonic, rebelled
at the age of 16 with a hairstyle that more than resembles his
little blue hedgehog guru. Can it really be a coincidence that
I am always drawn to Kirby given that nine times out of ten I
am wearing at least one pink item of clothing?
Conkers – crap.
Going back to games shaping us as parents, if
we choose our game characters because they share some characteristics
with ourselves then is this a part of shaping ourselves for parenthood?
Every time we start all over again after the fateful ‘Game
Over’ screen, are we developing the trait to encourage our
children to battle on, to fight for what they believe in, to save
themselves from the world we have created for them? By teaching
our character new skills it may be possible that we are getting
ready to nurture the precious individuality of each child, by
making sure they practice at their skills and make the most of
their abilities.
So, maybe it would be an idea for parents to
stop telling children to "go out and get some fresh air".
And anyway, does learning to play conkers or climbing trees really
help us in the future? What essential skills do we actually learn?
Conker’s Pocket Tales, on
the other hand – er, crap also.
I can recall spending many a hour at school
playing with dolls, but if I was upset I could easily throw a
doll at a wall, pick it back up again, put it in a pram and take
it to the supermarket. If I was naïve enough to incorporate
those experiences faithfully, my prospects as a parent would not
be good. It would have made more sense to have spent those hours
playing computer games – feeling genuine exasperation as
my virtual dolly loses all its lives and has to start all over
again. I would have learned the error of my ways.
I conclude that instead of sending children
out to play in this dangerous world we live in, we should encourage
them to stay indoors and invite a few friends to see the new arrival
to their family that lives on the game-shelf.
LOUISE, January
2004.
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Things to 'Make' and 'Do'.
Mumsnet.
How to be a mum. And, if you look REALLY hard, a dad…
Sonic – heyhey!
Kirby – awwwwwww!
Perhaps you feel more nurturesome about this…
Or, if you like Linkin Park and wear baggy ‘pants’,
maybe this…
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