Parent alert: before rejecting Pokémon Go, consider opportunities it provides for more communication

Ed Source – Erin Brownfield

“Support their “lemonade stands.” That advice from Ellen Galinsky’s book about childhood development “Mind in the Making” is one of the pieces of parenting wisdom that has stuck with me as I’ve raised two boys. Galinsky uses “lemonade stands” as a catch-all term for children’s interests and passions, and her advice for educators and parents is to foster kids’ growth, agency and “grit” by encouraging them to follow and act on their interests, whatever they may be. In the spirit of this, I’ve been a willing participant as my kids went deep into learning, even when their passions turned out to be poisonous snakes (thankfully, the closest I’ve had to get is the zoo) and ancient Egyptian funerary practices – I can even help build a replica of a step-pyramid tomb with Jenga blocks. But what do you do when your child’s passion is Pokémon Go, the augmented reality video game that is causing traffic accidents and low cell phone batteries around the nation?.”(more)