Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

There are differences between those who have been exposed to electronics all their lives (my kids) vs. those who have not (me).

While shopping for a new Bakugon (the latest craze) at Toys-r-us, my son was overwhelmed with his choices of Bakugon toys to choose from. After staring at the long aisle full of toys, floor to ceiling, he announces that he's going to decide by "deleting stations." Say what?!?

Translation: He's going to rule out entire sections of toys displayed in the aisle in order to narrow down his choices. This makes total sense to him, since the toys are displayed in groups of similar types (accessories are in 1 group, bakugon in another group, toy holders/carriers in another, etc). The process makes sense to me as well, but the "deleting stations" reference is from games he's used to playing on the computer, wii and ds.

It's just another reminder that the world I grew up in is gone, and my kids' world is becomming increasingly foreign to me. Is this the definition of "getting old"?

Advice For Parents of TeeBall Players

It's little league season again. This will be our 4th year. (Where does the time go?) Another few months of spending a lot of time outside in the beautiful California weather, running to practices and games, trying to fit a hurried meal into an even busier schedule.

It also reminds me of some of the best advice I ever got from a coach. It was our first year, and my son had entered teeball for the first time. He was perfectly adorable in his new uniform, with matching jersey, belt, socks and hat (aawww). Just before our first game, the coach sent an email to all of the parents. I still remember his words.

Please do not get upset or embarrassed if your child’s attention constantly shifts during the games and/or practice. If you have never done TeeBall before, each game is 60-90 minutes of trying to get all the kids to pay attention.... Most of the kids on our team have never played TeeBall before.... It will take some time for them to get used to our routine.

It is normal for the kids to look around, pick grass, get distracted, wander around the field and so on. We’ll just gently try to round them up and try and get them to pay attention. Remember... we want them to have fun....

It's true. They wander, play in the dirt, look at bugs and dig holes. As long as you expect it, it can be funny to watch. For all parents of teeball players, just remember, it's important to have fun.