Maybe Means Yes: Will’s Birthday Wish

Will is turning eight soon, and he knows exactly what he wants for his birthday.

A VR headset.

Specifically, a Meta Quest.

He has mentioned it enough times now that I have moved from an immediate “absolutely not” to the much more dangerous:

“Maybe.”

This was a mistake.

Because in our house, the kids have a saying:

I don't know where this came from. I certainly never agreed to it. But all six of them seem to understand it as established family law.

If Mom says no, that's no.

If Mom says yes, that's yes.

And if Mom says maybe, apparently that means yes, but she hasn't ordered it yet.

So as far as Will is concerned, he is getting a VR headset for his eighth birthday.

As far as I am concerned, we are considering a VR headset for his eighth birthday.

These are, apparently, the same sentence.

And the problem is that I can see why he'd love it.

Will has always been one of those kids who doesn't just use technology. He wants to figure it out. He wants to know what it can do. He wants to find the thing hidden three menus deep that I didn't even realize was there.

He's seven for a little while longer, but I can see eight coming.

He's getting bigger. His interests are getting bigger. The things that completely light him up aren't always the things I would have chosen for him anymore.

And I actually love that.

There is something so sweet about watching your kid become enough of his own person to have a birthday wish you never would have thought of yourself.

Of course, I still have questions.

Will he use it enough? Is eight too young? How much time do I really want my child spending with a computer strapped to his face?

And, in a house with six kids, exactly how long will it take before a toddler wanders through his virtual universe and gets accidentally taken out by an enthusiastic arm swing?

These are legitimate concerns.

Will does not share them.

Will is mostly concerned with which games he will play on the VR headset that he does not currently own.

So we're still thinking about it.

His birthday hasn't happened yet. There is no headset hidden in a closet. No decision has officially been made.

It's a maybe.

But Will knows his family.

And around here?