I have recently finished reading Timothy Gallwey’s “The Inner Game of Tennis”. As mentioned on Goodreads, it is: “a revolutionary program for overcoming the self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses of concentration that can keep a player from winning.” I am no tennis player. To be precise, I am no player at all, but a bit of golf now and then. Nevertheless, I found the book very relevant also for “games” outside the “court”.
I am a big fan of writing. Not only in terms of writing lifestyle and psychology articles, culinary articles, my book on cheesecakes (you can check it out here), but also in terms of writing in general. I truly believe that this is a good skill and a necessary habit to have for everyone.
When I was a teen I was writing a diary. It was usually a thick notebook of 96 pages which in less than half a year I completed cover to cover. Back then it was a way to structure my thoughts and in a sense release myself of some of my worries. Nowadays I have two notebooks.
There is no doubt that we wish the best for our kids. We try as hard as we can and make choices as intelligently as possible. Nevertheless what often happens is that in an effort to give them the best we fall into the trap of micromanagement. We try to control them too much; we decide for them way too often; we try to protect them from all the possible troubles and problems. In a way this a natural wish – to protect your off-spring from everything. On the other hand, the same as micromanaging is a recipe for trouble in the corporate world; micromanaging childhood has many cons which by far outweigh its pros.
One of these days I was trying to sort out my archives and stumbled upon notes of 2009 about Galleon (the huge insider trading scandal). I never actually got to assembling them into an article, yet I think that this subject warrants attention. This is even more so in the context of the psychological issues involved. Thus, in this post let me address both.
This is not going to be a list of favorite toys or a top ten of toys and games that you obligatory need to buy for your kids. Rather, I just want to share some of my thoughts on the subject of toys and games as such.
When I was a kid we didn’t have that many toys available. We had enough; there was never really a shortage, don’t get me wrong. However, if we compare the offer on the market of 30 years ago and now, it is obvious that this part of entertainment industry grew significantly. Toys and games available today are amazing! Even as a grown-up person you look at all those fantastic things – bright, interesting, and captivating – and your first reaction is to put all of them in your shopping basket because your “kid undoubtedly needs them”. If you have an infant or a toddler what frequently happens next is that your home becomes cluttered while your happy kid is playing with a saucepan in the kitchen instead… Recognizable? I bet. Moreover, the rhetorical question is: am I buying all those things for my kids or for myself?Continue reading Toys and games: some reflections on the past, present and future of gaming→
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