I think this is a fantastic piece about how sometimes we have to let our children experience life and get hurt sometimes. It’s heartbreaking, yes, but it’s so important for them to develop the skills and thick skin they need to cope in the world without us. We’re not going to be here to protect them forever, people. Helicopter parenting is no guarantee of immortality. Thank you for this, Narrowback Slacker!
So, about a week ago, my Minecraft-addicted daughter asked me if it would be ok if she Skyped with one of her online contacts, with whom she’d been playing on a Minecraft server for a while. Herself uses Skype frequently to talk with her real-life friends while she plays, but hadn’t made any voice or face contact with what I call her cyberfriends. I thought on it for a while, and asked her a few questions (How old is this kid? Where does she live? Did her older brother, who spends time with Herself in cyberspace and really does look out for her, think it was ok?). Tentatively, I let them chat. I listened in, confirmed it was an actual little girl, and let it go as a test run.
Last night that little girl, whom we refer to as “Rochester” (as that’s where she’s from) decided to change my daughter’s on-screen nickname to…
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