One anticipated contrast between our life in Uganda and our life in England is the amount of "stuff" people here have, especially children. And we have certainly found this to be true. Here in Gloucester almost all our friends with children have the whole range of IT, including computers, Wiis, Ipads, smart phones, kindles, x-boxes, PSPs, DSs, ... Several families have a new computer game called Skylander, a children's game, and it works on any of the newest models of Wiis PSPs or x-boxes - if only we had any of that list - but, we don't! Partly because Dan and I are not all that techy anyway, and partly because we are living on a budget at the moment... In Mukono we felt we were ahead of the game by having two second-hand game boys, - and they did provide a lot of fun.
We don't miss having those things, but I do feel bad for Alex who would love to have one of them, at least. He does so well though at not minding - he even said that not having a Wii means he enjoys playing with them more at his friends' houses, which was encouraging.
However, Alex and Abby make the best of what they do have, which is a basic laptop each we bought them during our visit in the US at amazingly good prices. There are plenty of internet games they can play, and they do - with power here being uninterrupted and the connection pretty fast... Alex has become a whizz at a game called Eight-ball Pool, where you play other people at virtual pool, and he is really good at it. He also plays a lot of miniclip games. Our rule, apart from trying to limit the time spent on them, is that he can't play any game which involves killing or shooting people, and he is good about obeying that.
Recently, friends showed them a virtual world game called Animal Jam. This, unfortunately, has proved to be addictive to them... We are going to have to do better at limiting the time they spend on it. Thankfully in the last two days, the sun has come out and it looks as though spring has arrived - so they will be able to Get Outside!
People having so many expensive toys at their disposal does give the impression that everyone has plenty of money, but we know that is not the case - we know families who are on low budgets, and everyone talks about the recession we are in and rising prices. But it seems as though it is just expected here that you will have lots of electronic "toys" - they are not luxuries, but just basic everyday commodities. That is what I can't get my head around.
You could look at it as a general rise in people's standard of living - but is it, really? Children spending hours in front of screens of various dimensions... Surely anyone would rather their children were outside with a football, climbing trees, drawing birds, collecting insects, playing tag...! Do I sound like Noah, or Noah's wife maybe?! Actually I think everyone would prefer that, but, everyone says, "All the children do it these days. Sigh..." And a lot of the games are fun, and stimulating, and they do need to learn the IT skills... But we parents surely need to find a balance, and draw the line somewhere. We are only at the start of it with Abby and Alex, and this is only one of many lifestyle dilemmas we will face in the next few years, no doubt. Lord give us wisdom and grace! And help us to be neither mean and antediluvian, nor conformist and resigned!
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