So you’ve decided to get a Wii. Well, it’s a good news/bad news proposition. First the bad news: Nintendo keeps a level playing field by setting a standard price for its console — $199.99 — which makes shopping around for the best price fruitless. But the good news is that the Wii world is a little more complex than that, so savvy shoppers can still save some dough. Here’s how.
1. Look for a gift-card bonus. The way some retailers get around Nintendo’s MSRP (or any manufacturer’s, for that matter) is a…
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Read what the professionals who deal with screens every day say about issues like limiting screen time, safety, and game development.
Sometimes the child’s perspectives is lost in the discussion. Here children share their thoughts on electronics.
A family room makeover in a design magazine recently caught my eye. The room included two identical TVs on one wall (with a fireplace between). The caption explained that the intention was for two people to watch TV “together,” each using a separate screen and headphones.
I had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it embraced reality: Cable television has become so diverse and specialized that each family member finds programming developed specifically for their interests (or age group). On the other hand, it’s sort of sad to…
[ Read the full story » ]Every once in a while, I come across a situation in life-with-electronics that causes me to stop and say, “Hmmm.” While these dilemmas aren’t juicy enough to be fodder for playwrights and priests, they aren’t uncommon and take a little thinking-through as a parent.
1. Lying about the child’s age. This comes up when setting up accounts on adult sites. (By that I mean sites that are generally used by adults and not kids, but for purposes I’ve deemed appropriate for someone younger than the 18-year-old requirement. )…
[ Read the full story » ]My colleague Leah Ingram, who blogs about frugal living over at SuddenlyFrugal, has some great suggestions for ways parents and kids can get the best values when buying used video games or selling them. For example, do you know when is the best time to sell a video game? Or which games hold their values best? I sure didn’t. Head over to Leah’s post for all the details.
[ Read the full story » ]A recent survey by Common Sense Media shows that 35 percent of students use their cell phones to cheat on tests. Here’s how they do it:
Happily, teachers…
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