Legos

I can't resist chiming in on Cathy's Lego discussion.
My comments are a little more lengthy than would be appropriate for her comment section so I decided to put them here. And I am not commenting on her post, just putting in my thoughts on the Lego article.

My boys play with Legos every day. Every single day, without fail, the Legos come out. Having just had Christmas and 3 birthdays in the last 2 1/2 months we have gobs of new Legos.

I can't make playing with the legos fair. There is absolutely NO way that I can accomplish that. We have only one rule about the Legos (besides use plain old courtesy and common sense): If they start to fight over them, I tell them they have to work it out or put them away. The end. They need to learn that you can't always have your way. You can't always have the same as everyone else. If there is something you want, negotiate. Or move on to something else that you CAN have.

If you aren't in charge now, there will come a time when you will be. Being the oldest has its perks, at least here in my house. Being the oldest also comes with responsibilities. If I notice that the power is being abused, I remove it.

Making up endless rules about playing with Legos is stupid. Play with the gol-danged things and be done with it.



I understand that using Legos in a classroom situation is much, much different than using them at home. I applaud the school for wanting to find a solution in order that they may bring the Legos back into the classroom. But I don't agree with their solution. Playing with the Legos had to be fair or no one could play with them. So they made up rules to make it fair. Rules that are teaching the kids that unless everyone has the same thing, it isn't fair.

Here is the definition of socialism: An "economic, social and political doctrine which expresses the struggle for the equal distribution of wealth by eliminating private property and the exploitative ruling class. In practice, such a distribution of wealth is achieved by social ownership of the means of production, exchange and diffusion."

While the school's solution doesn't follow that definition exactly, it is close enough for me to say--No way, not in my house. I refuse to squelch my kids' creativity for the greater good.

I will stick to our one Lego rule. Get along, or put it away.