Indiana Jones & The Sugar Crafters

Hmmm, so this week we have relaxed the rules we have in our house about computer games.  Against my better judgement, I bought a Lego Indiana Jones game for the Wii on Ebay and a second controller so they could play it together.  This was a Big Move from my point of view - as we only have the original Wii and the only thing we have it for is the Wii Fit, which me and DH use, and which the kids are occasionally allowed to play in the holidays etc.   But DS really enjoyed playing this particular game when we were on holiday and we were happy with the content and the sociability of it (it has to be played as a two-player game) so we thought we would give it a whirl........

Famous Last Words....... :-) :-) :-)

It arrived yesterday and has been a roller coaster of highs and epic lows ever since! There's been some great collaborative play, some good listening to direction when it's suggested they take a break and go outside for a bit etc, and also some spectacular arguments with very choice language and name calling!  And if I had even 10p for every time DD has said "right, that's it, I'm not playing any more!"  I would be a very rich lady lol.

But this is all new to me.  So, do I leave them to 'bed in' or do I stand over them policing the time they spend on it?  One of my Big Things, that I know I say waaaaaaaay too often is "I don't want to be The Police of...." and I can feel it coming on now.  My kids are well used to me saying "I don't want to be The Police of Sweets" or "The Police of Play" etc etc - so I certainly don't want to be The Police of Computer Games.  I can remember spending days and days on our old Amstrad, playing the one game we had (Tombstone) - which took about quarter of an hour to load from a cassette!!   And we are pretty strict on this kind of stuff.  Our kids don't have tablets, iPads, DS's, X-Boxes or anything such like.  They have are almost 9 and 7 1/2 and they have a Tamagotchi each and DS has a Secret Diary - that's literally it. We never even had LeapPads or anything!  So I'm inclined to let them work this out for themselves (and close my ears to some of things I am hearing - given there's only us here!).

On the plus side, it means DH is free to get on with painting the hall.  Yay! (I can't tell you how THRILLED he is about this!  I'm sure you can imagine :-) )  And they have responded to intervention when it's been necessary.  Indeed, yesterday, only an hour after THE GAME had arrived, they had to leave to attend a Sugar Crafting workshop being run by a Home Ed teen doing her Silver Arts Award.  DH neglected to give DS a countdown for this and a predictable meltdown occurred.  But, he was able to listen, calm down, and respond to instruction and went and attended the workshop with his sister.  I was so proud (especially as I couldn't take them myself as I wasn't feeling well, so this added another New Thing into the mix for DS).  But, by all accounts, they had a fantastic time and were absolutely thrilled with the results......

......... and even more pleased once they were allowed to tuck in to them!

And today they've taken regular breaks, tidied their rooms (when asked), remembered to eat and drink (MAJOR achievement for DD!!!) and averted a full on asthama attack from DS when he accidentally scalded his finger on the kettle (no actually injuring, just a shock from the steam - but enough of a shock to cause Full On Can't Breathe Melt Down).  Inhalers administered, several cuddles later, all fine :-)  

DD in the mean time settled down quietly to work on this beautiful 3D watercolour - of a Bay (not a beach, a BAY Mummy!) -

And now they have gone back to gaming! But at least it's now ALL they've done lol x