Pater Familias … because I'm your FATHER!

Generation Kinder-Kill

October 23, 2009 · Behavior | Influences | School

Is pretend violence okay?

Why We Should Give Up on World Peace

Girl Child at the mirror, grooming for school. She vamps for full effect.

Little soon for that, but, hey, she does her own hair now. Brushing I do not miss, like branding a calf that screeches about pain and mommy doing it right.

But then she says to the mirror, all sly and flirty face, “Today I’m really going to get Garrick …”

“Get him how?”

“Lock him in jail and kill him.”

Thank God, still age appropriate. But also a sign that we as a species are doomed.

Garrick dies today because he leads Boys Team in Boys Team Against Girls Team. They’re at it again, just like last year.

BTAGT is major recess-time entertainment at Big Brick Elementary School. To grown up eyes, it looks like any old chase game. But we hear about magic keys, code words, objects that confer special powers. Kids switch sides, with certain “girly boys” (GC’s words) choosing GT for, you know, inner sync.

Metrosexual Harry Potter, how cool and Unsuburb is this?

However — at least in our house — the thing gets Afghan Insurgency. Since last year GC has done home arts-and-crafts weapons, like a painted rock/laser, another rock treated (Webkinz-brand mango spray scent) to repel the enemy, and a thing causing uncontrollable crying.

The stuff, especially hand-beaded secret electronic jewelry, is tres arty and Waldorf School. GC also labors over special ops. My fave remains the plot to incapacitate Boys Team Leader with a door boobytrapped to explode and shoot rocks. Poor guy then gets strapped into a chair that centrifuges him until he gives up his side’s key.

New developments: First Grader writing and numbering on e-devices. GC uses construction paper to make battle laptops that, among other things, direct remote surveillance (flying drones, I think), and she does phones for secure communications and apps.

“Oh yeah, I push this button and a bomb explodes right by Garrick.”

Yow. Pater, who is borderline pacifist — we go to the Quaker Meeting, for Christ’s sake — wonders if concern should be expressed.

I happen to believe that our worst global horrors were caused by arrested development suits playing pretend war with actual uniformed U.S. Armed Forces.

Do we stop the cycle here?

Also, on a psychotherapeutic note, What if that if this heinous stuff is all in our child’s head?

Mom and I think maybe, but there’s no good way to confirm — Dave, Violet, we were wondering if Missy has a make-believe weapons lab and, um, talks about remotely detonated IEDs and torturing other kids …

Nah.

Let it go. She’s six. She knows it’s wrong to hurt people. At least she says so, angelic and convincing.

You tell me, is pretend violence okay?

5 Comments | Post a comment | Permanent Link