“Mama’s Mad at Me”

“Hey, buddy, why so sad looking?”

“Mommy is really mad at me. She told me to go to my room and think about what I said. I don’t get why what I said made her all upset like that. I didn’t say any bad words.”

“Well, maybe you should tell me what you said to her so I can help you figure it out.”

“I don’t know, Dad. If I tell you maybe you’ll get mad at me too.”

“How about if I promise whatever it is, I won’t get mad. It’s my job to help you work things out, so you don’t make the same mistake again. I can’t do that if I get mad. Does that make sense, Alex?”

“I guess so.”

“Okay, son, tell me what you said that made your mother so upset with you.”

“The man on TV was talking about a war someplace like it was bad or something and I said, ‘He makes war sound like a bad thing, but I like war.’ Mommy got this mad look on her face and asked, ‘Why would you say such a thing?’ ”

“What did you say?”

“I told her I play war with my friends all the time on my tablet, and we have lots of fun blowing up the bad guys and their trucks and jeeps and all sorts of stuff. We play Army Combat or Stickman Army. We like it. That’s when Mommy got really angry and told me to give her my tablet. She said I could have it back when I was older. Then, she sent me to my room to read a book. I just don’t get it, Dad, what got her so angry?”

“Just talking about war makes your mother angry because that’s how she lost her dad, your Grandpa Alex who you’re named after.”

“Lost, couldn’t anyone find him?”

“Lost has several meanings. This time lost means he died in a battle.”

“I’ve died plenty of times and all I have to do is reset and I can play again.”

“Real life is different than video games, Alex. In real life if you blow up a building or a truck it stays destroyed, and if you get killed you stay dead. There is no reset button. Your mom loved her father a lot and when he was killed it made her sad and very angry.”

“But I didn’t kill him. Why is she mad at me?”

“She’s not mad at you, Buddy, she’s mad at all the people who make games which trick kids into thinking that war is fun and if someone gets killed all you need to do is hit reset and everything is alright again. Do you understand now?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Do you think if I tell Mommy I’m sorry about Grandpa Alex and that you explained to me why war is really a bad thing she will give me my tablet back?”

“I think you can ask her and if she says yes we’ll need to make some new rules.”

“Rules like what?”

“If you get your tablet back you have to ask your mother or me if it’s okay to download a new app. There are lots of games you can play with your friends that aren’t about war. Deal?”

“Deal!”

“Alright, Alex, time to talk to your mother.”

“Will you come with me?”

“Sure, I’ll be your wingman.”

“Wingman, what’s a wingman?”

“Let’s save that for another day, okay.”

“Okay, and Dad, I love you!”

“I love you too, son! Let’s go.”

“Mom, Dad and I need to talk to you.”