My Older Daughter Was So Sad Yesterday....

Background on my 8 yo daughter. She is a go getter. She could not wait to learn about the computer. She uses my computer more than even I do. She has all her favorite sites (cartoonnetwork, PBSKids, Barbie, Polly Pocket and so on) she likes to visit. She knows how to go from window to window. She has her own e-mail address (it's under ours but has her own name for it). She loves to search for things on the internet. She was really into spy stuff before Christmas and researched all the spy gear. Don't get too freaked. We have gone over all the cautions of there are people out there that aren't nice. We don't give out our name, address and so on. If she has a question she is to ask. The computer is in the kitchen where I can see everything. So anyway, she loves the computer.

She found a new site last week. She and her Brother signed up. Got an account. I had to approve it and everything. She discovered Neopets. On this site you can adopt or buy up to 3 neopets per account. You use those neopets to play games and win toys and stuff for them. She has almost all her friends signed on. I'm sure their parents really like that my daughter encourages them to use their computer and walks them through the whole registration. She would live on the computer if I let her.

Last night as I was cleaning the kitchen she came in and wanted to get on the computer. I said sure. Off to Neopets she goes. I left when Andrew came in to help Catherine with a game. Not 10 minutes later she walks into the living room with tears in her eyes. The first thing I thought is that she had checked her e-mail and got some sad news, or had a fight with her best friend (she will call her and they talk about what they see on the computer). I called her over and asked what is wrong. She said nothing. Now I get really concerned. I make her come over to me and talk. She sits in my lap and starts bawling. I"m about to freak trying to come up with an explanation. She finally tells me she almost killed her neopets. Ok, not a good mommy moment but I had to stifle my relief as well as giggles. So it ends up she played a game and her pets ate a poisonous plant and has Neopneumonia. She was so devastated, so sad and I had to be so "It's ok. I"m sure they will live. Neopheumonia probably won't kill them. Give them lots of water but why not shut the game off for right now and help them tomorrow".

It's hard to do some of this mommy stuff with a straight face.