Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle Magazine August 2013 | Page 36

licence. Really, since the advent of catchup TV and YouTube the TV licence is anachronistic. Who wants to pay for live TV when you can watch it an hour later for free? So as a hub for entertainment, the PS4 will be good value and if you change your viewing habits it could pay for itself (RRP is £349) in just six months, based on what I used to spend. But perhaps that’s the way to see these consoles; not as toys, but as family purchases that should sit in the front room and be used with supervision. The slightly worrying fact is that many of these adult games played on by children are purchased and disappear into bedrooms. As a central entertainment device, at least you will see the game being used and be able to decide if it really is “just a game”. Of course, maximising the family TV will also help your children to control their time spent gaming. “Games off at seven o’clock!” will be unavoidable if Mum wants to watch something at that time, and their bedrooms can be reserved for proper toys and of course sleeping! ABOVE: Two lumps of plastic and electronics that many children will want to own So this is it. Indulge your children. Let them be ‘in with the in crowd’ but be clever about it, use it as the excuse you’ve been waiting for to remove the existing technology from their bedrooms. Reserve their bedrooms for reading, sleeping and playing with toys. Encourage them to trade in their existing gaming systems for games for the new console, and encourage them to read after that 7pm technology curfew. They’ll be so happy to receive the latest gaming system, and you’ll find uses for it too. I’m sorry to have mentioned Christmas already- buy by posting this article now, at least I’m giving you six months to save for the most desirable present of 2013! Enjoy your summer readers. Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) Xbox One Console Mark Hulkus is a primary school teacher and an experienced Head of IT. He has three children, is obsessed with the 1980s, and runs a fun design website at www.retroboombox.co.uk. He will be helping us to help our children when it comes to school work and IT skills. If you have a question for Mark email us at [email protected]