Amusing Musings
by Anise Hollingshead
May 1998Hi, everybody!
How is everyone? Here in Georgia, we have had some nasty weather, but hopefully we are past that now. I don't know about you, but this year is racing by; I can't believe it will soon be Mother's Day!
We have some new reviewers on board and I would like to introduce them to you: Cindy Caldwell, Sara Payne, Alecia Dixon, and Melissa Petrey. They are all moms and are very excited to have this opportunity to give our readership information on software titles for their families. Hopefully, you will be able to read more about them in our Editorial Staff section, as soon as we get their personal information up!
For this month, I would like to pose a question to you and would appreciate you writing me and letting me know your opinion on it. When you purchase software, do you buy primarily educational, entertainment, or a mixture of both for your kids?
The reason I am curious about this is that several of my friends have recently bought their first computer, but have been very hesitant about buying games for their kids on it, saying, "well, they have a SNES, playstation, etc." and when they do purchase a product for their kids it is usually strictly educational. This is in direct contrast to MY family, where we treat our computer mostly as an expensive gaming system! Our family does use the computer for school projects and work, but to be honest, much of our time is spent gaming.
I guess I am puzzled by people who will purchase a $60 SNES game, but hesitate about plonking down $30 (and less for marked down titles) for kid's software, unless it is an educational title. Of course, I can understand the difference between a game that can be played over and over again on the SNES, vs. some kids titles that can be effectively played only once, but there are MANY kids titles that can be enjoyed each time they play them. We have several "edutainment" and a few "educational" titles, but we also have lots of just-for-fun titles!
Now, don't get me wrong! I am all for using the computer as an educational tool, especially if you are homeschooling, and I definitely don't subscribe to the view that all education must be entertaining. Kids need to know that some things just require hard work with no bells or whistles as rewards for learning. However, I see nothing wrong with playing lots of fun games on the 'puter, too.
So, what's YOUR opinion? Don't be shy, email me and tell me how you and your family use your computer!
Anise Hollingshead, Daily Editor
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