A few months ago we were running out of the house to take the little girls to gymnastics. At the time, Georgia was on the laptop playing one of the educational games from school. Either Ticket to Read or V-Math Live. Either way, she was very involved in the game and not only do I not mind them playing those games, but I encourage it. Knowing this, she asked me if she could take the computer in the car with her.
"Well you could, but it's not going to work in the car," I informed her.
"Why not?" She wondered.
Then I proceeded to explain that the game was on the Internet and in order to have the Internet you had to have a connection. She wasn't quite sure what I was talking about so I tried to break it down as best I could for a 6 year old.
"You see, we have something at our house that is called Wi-Fi. That keeps us connected to the Internet and hooked up to your game. When we leave the house the Wi-Fi connection stops and so does the Internet. "
"So you can't use the computer anywhere else?" She asked.
"You can, but it has to be someplace else that has a connection to the Internet and they have to let you use it. There isn't a connection in the car driving around. Once we get to gymnastics there is a connection there, but you have to do your gymnastics so you won't be able to use it then anyway."
"Can't I just try?" She asked.
Now I could have argued with her and told her no, taking the computer away, but sometimes it's better to let them figure it out for themselves. Especially when I am already running my typical five minutes late. So I told her sure, and carried the laptop out to the car where she sat with it in her car seat. She continued to play her game until we drove two houses down the street and she said,
"It stopped!"
"Yes, because we are to far from our house and there is no more connection for the Internet. You understand now?"
"Yeah," she told me.
"That's what I was trying to tell you. It will only work where there is a connection."
"Ooohhh Okay!" She said. I felt pretty confident that she finally got it, but wanted to make sure there weren't any lingering questions so I said,
"Do you have any questions about this?"
"Yes!" She said. "Just one."
"Okay what?" I asked.
"Why doesn't it work?"
I'm thinking that she might not be headed for a career in computers.
"Well you could, but it's not going to work in the car," I informed her.
"Why not?" She wondered.
Then I proceeded to explain that the game was on the Internet and in order to have the Internet you had to have a connection. She wasn't quite sure what I was talking about so I tried to break it down as best I could for a 6 year old.
"You see, we have something at our house that is called Wi-Fi. That keeps us connected to the Internet and hooked up to your game. When we leave the house the Wi-Fi connection stops and so does the Internet. "
"So you can't use the computer anywhere else?" She asked.
"You can, but it has to be someplace else that has a connection to the Internet and they have to let you use it. There isn't a connection in the car driving around. Once we get to gymnastics there is a connection there, but you have to do your gymnastics so you won't be able to use it then anyway."
"Can't I just try?" She asked.
Now I could have argued with her and told her no, taking the computer away, but sometimes it's better to let them figure it out for themselves. Especially when I am already running my typical five minutes late. So I told her sure, and carried the laptop out to the car where she sat with it in her car seat. She continued to play her game until we drove two houses down the street and she said,
"It stopped!"
"Yes, because we are to far from our house and there is no more connection for the Internet. You understand now?"
"Yeah," she told me.
"That's what I was trying to tell you. It will only work where there is a connection."
"Ooohhh Okay!" She said. I felt pretty confident that she finally got it, but wanted to make sure there weren't any lingering questions so I said,
"Do you have any questions about this?"
"Yes!" She said. "Just one."
"Okay what?" I asked.
"Why doesn't it work?"
I'm thinking that she might not be headed for a career in computers.
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