I Just Want to Fit In
Can I download a game on your phone? Recently, our son approached us, wanting to download a video game onto one of our phones. We have games on our phones that we sometimes allow the kids to play. He insisted that we download it, but we were busy with other things. It eventually turned into: "Why do you want this game so bad right now?" "One of my friends has it, and he plays it." "You don't need that game right now." "Please, can you just download it?" "Not right now." He starts to cry and says, "I just want to fit in!" Air has left the room. Wait, what? This comes from our oldest, who is friendly and has friends wherever he goes. This allowed us to pause, listen, and learn while providing instruction. We asked why he felt that way, and he talked about other kids playing that game and him not feeling like he fit in. The game was purportedly the puzzle piece that would provide him a sense of belonging. The conversatio...
