Trust and Boundaries

We had an interesting weekend. Our oldest, Levi (who is high functioning autistic), has been playing a video game at a friends house and really wanted it. The game is rated 'M' and that gave us pause. We really don't want games with that rating in the house.

Trust:
We discussed our concerns with Levi. He was explaining that the game wasn't that bad. So we went online and read reviews and opinions. A lot of the opinions expressed that the game should be rated 'T' instead of 'M'. We talked with the father of the friend to get his take. Finally, we decided to check the game out ourselves and see what it was about. Game Stop is good for this. They have a 7 day return policy on Previously Owned games so it gave us a chance to look at the game and try it out. So we picked the game up and had Levi show us what it was all about.

Boundaries:
After watching the game we decided that it was inappropriate for our house. This is something that is personal to us. It is something we are not comfortable with. Now we had to explain to Levi the reasons why we felt the game was inappropriate. It took several "sessions" along with a promise to work with Levi to find appropriate games that can be a part of our house. This morning it finally clicked (or at least seemed to) with Levi. We did some searching and have found a game that could be as fun and that can be played in our home. We will be taking back the 'M' game and getting the other game.

Results:
The results are pending. I have a good feeling that the new game will keep Levi happy. I also think that Levi has learned that we will work with him to ensure that video games we get are "fun" but also appropriate for our household. It will always be a work in progress, but I have great hopes that this weekend is a spring board for other conversations that will be had as we get older. Keeping my fingers crossed.