Our twelve year old son has been begging to let him watch JAWS for years! We were cautious about allowing this for concern that he may hestiate to enjoy the water as much as we all do! On this 50th anniversary of the release of the movie he finally got his big chance. 

I remember watching JAWS on the big screen at a drive in movie theatre with my friends when I was in high-school here in Yakima. As kids it felt like we had more freedom to do things than kids may feel now. Duke has been asking to run to the store on his scooter from time to time this summer so he can buy snacks. Reflecting back, we rode our bikes all over town when we were that age. We have slowly accepted that the independence is a good way to get him out of the house, taking a break from his gaming. 

At the same time, he is develpng the skills at home while he plays games with friends here in town, across the country, and in europe. Together they engage in the playground chatter and a bit of taunting if I'm honest, but also learning how to communicate as they are constantly talking through their controllers with one another. They're coordinating their efforts and solving problems. 

I can see how this kind of play, problem solving, and communication is setting these boys up to work toether in the future in whatever they decide to do professionally.