X Box Craze

Mom' s log: Stardate January 13, 2011, time 1:50 a.m.  What?  Are you crazy?  No, but my son is.  He's glued to his x box and won't go to sleep.  

It seems that whenever they, meaning my kids, have a new toy they have to wear it out.  Actually, for that matter the list includes clothes, shoes, music, phone(Speaking of phone the kid had over 400 text messages in one day.  Is that a new record? Please tell me if you have the answer to this puzzling question.)and you understand a little now.  Except that maybe you don't, unless you are the proud owner of one or more kids.  

Where were we again?  Oh yeah, wearing things out and that means always wearing the same new thing out.  They will wear it every day as if its the only thing that's in their closet.   Long forgotten are the many others hiding in the closet.  All they can see is that new thing.  What happens, is that after tons of washes that new article of clothing belongs in the heap.

Back to the x box.   Yeah, so there he is from the time he gets home from school to bedtime playing.  He received his shiny, new, play toy for Christmas.  So guess what?  He was on it from sun up to sun down as if it provided life sustaining energy.  Could you tear him away?  No way because all of his friends were on it too.  How lovely!  They can chat with friends near and as far away as the other side of the world because they are online.  Yipee!  Now try telling him to get off.  What do you get?  The icy glare as if you just asked him to clean his room or the bathroom.  

"Mam, I think what you got here is a case of x box itis".  Does your child sit and stare at the x box screen while clicking away on a controller and chatting happily with friends? Check.  Does he refuse to come for dinner when called?  Check.  Does he refuse to get up and do his normal chores?  Check.  Is there an icy glare when you demand that he follow through with your instructions?  Check. 

No doubt about it then.  He's definitely caught it.  What's the cure?  Several days of withdrawal treatment and he might be  fine.  That is, if you can stand the silent treatment and more of those icy glares.  

Well moms and dad good luck on that one and be sure to let me know how that goes.  As for me, maybe he'll get tired of that game sometime soon.