By Kim Rossi

My oldest daughter was home from her day program yesterday - ever present staffing issues mean 1, 2 and as many as 3 days a week home. We went to the library because she was asking about the old Spot the Dog books. We found two in the stacks. Then she spied the children's section computers and sat herself right down.

Within a minute, she was cheerfully surfing the EdMark games that she LOVED in her childhood. Those old CD-ROM games don't play automatically on newer home computers, and haven't for many years. She's resorted to finding them on YouTube and watching others play them, which is a shame. Because, while I always want to bring her forward, she loved those games and was reading, thinking, answering questions and engaged while using them. I wasn't at all surprised when she said what was on the NEXT screen before it popped up having remembered it for more than 20 years.

The Sesame Street series from Sony was clever and interesting, as was Elmo's Art Workshop. EdMark, with Millie's Math House, Bailey's Book House and Sammy's Science House.  All geared to youngsters, and yet, still provided an opportunity to her. Apps aren't the same. I don't know why, they just aren't.

I updated her library card while there. And to my surprise, the librarian was a former classmate of my youngest daughter. She's a college graduate, working full time in the library. That stung a bit, as so many chance meetings do now that my daughters are adults. Still, it was nice to see her.

How do you bring your older kids forward, while respecting their needs and desires?

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