Oh yeah, let him bring the gameboy.  I bring mine!  One of my fondest camping memories was at the end of a long day.  Camp set.  Fishing from shore.  Enjoying a smoke.  Playing a turn-based gameboy game with my buddies.

This is a trip for him to enjoy and for him to get hooked on.  Let them pack the kitchen sink if they want.  Best way to learn what not to bring is to carry it over a few portages.  Chores yes, schedule no.  Chores must be done before bedtime.  Otherwise, being on your own schedule is what it's all about.  Best way to learn that shelter goes up first is to have your gear rained on.   

Alternate is to claim the bottle doesn't open until the work is done.  14 is old enough to have a drink with the old man, isn't it?

Hopefully I am missing some important dialogue between you and your buddy, but my initial reaction leans to "yes". (I say "leans to", because I had understood that "schmuck" literally and figuratively translates as "prick" - a bit strong for what we're talking about here.)

My take on the situation is as follows: You invited them, so that means you agreed to take on all the obligations of a host. In other words, you agreed to do everything in your power to make their trip as enjoyable as possible, with no consideration of your own personal enjoyment.

That's hardly as bad as it sounds. If you and your buddy go that far back, you've probably both got so many plusses and minuses on the ledger that one lost weekend for one of you isn't going to make much difference at this point anyway. And unless your buddy is a jerk, he will recognize that you need a bit of time alone, and will ensure that you get it. (Like how many 14-year olds get up before dawn for any reason? You get a few hours right there.)

If your buddy has been on a tough Algonquin trip, he's hardly a noob. It's been a while since I've been to A, but I don't remember much difference other than the crowds and the fluorescent cardboard tacked to the trees. That said, any opportunity to teach teenagers proper wilderness etiquette should be taken eagerly, not avoided. This is something that comes back to benefit all of us.

Regarding fishing, Q's barbless, no-live-bait rules make catching fish a bit of a challenge. Since you have considerable skills in this area and I gather that your buddy and his son do not, shouldn't you be eager to share what you know? A couple of lessons, a couple of successes, the Game Boy might be quickly forgotten. (If your buddy and his son hooked a decent sized Northern and got it to the boat, would they know what to do without you?)

It really is better to give than to receive.

All good stuff. Thought provoking. The kid's not the issue. Great kid raised by a good family. I like kids and teaching them. I was Mr. Mom to my own, a time period I would never trade. "Say what you mean, and mean what you say" was my motto. I never raised my voice but the paddle came out with some frequency during those early strong willed years. Funny, it doesn't seemed to have hurt her self esteem any and I don't recall any "terrible 2's or tyrannical threes"....but I digress.

As I evaluate this it is whole lots less about being a prick and more about being selfish.
I'm still glad I pushed the button on "Hey, you better be able to manage without me around" or the motivation to do just that may of been lost. That brings a certain seriousness to the table. Besides, if all goes according to plan they have a steep learning curve.........Kawanipi is one the horizon for next year (Lord willing).

Man, I'm getting slammed in the poll!   

Back in the 60's when I was 14 years old, we didn't need any chunk of plastic and silicon when we wanted to see flashing lights and swirling colors ...

LOL. I suspect the winning formula will be a couple of fishing / canoeing lessons, then trying to make sure #1 Son gets a chance to bugger off by himself to practice his skills without losing face in front of you old pros. The strongest father-son bonding might take place on a one-hour-on-three hours-off schedule.

Quote:


The first rule with of teaching man or beast is too get their attention
I bet any of the teachers here on QJ could tell you the horror stories of trying too compete with electronic devices in a classroom setting, ( other than devices meant for teaching).

I've seen numerous stories relating too the effect of Video games and the like on still developing brains.  The kids get over-stimulated with the constant "action". The develop an addiction too it.  Spend anytime around a young person who's a " Gamer", and you'll soon see they have the attention spans of a 2 year old.

I have too take exception with the mantra, change is for the best
Just because it's new and "in", doesn't mean it's a good thing

This site is full of paddlers who cherish the times they spent with parents/adults in the days before electronic games. I doubt many would say they were bored with the time they spent doing things the "old school way"?

Here's a little anecdote that you may find amusing
The other day at work, one of the twenty somethings I work with, got talking too me about pistol shooting. I said that I had shot Expert with the .45 in the Army, and had hunted deer with a .44 magnum. I don't shoot as much as I used too, but I would say I'm better than average.
  He told me that he was a crack shot and that we should have a little competition! I said let''s pick a day and go to the gun range. He replied that I could just come over too his house. I said " You have a pistol range on your property"?

He shook his head and replied " No, but I have a X-Box and a shooting app    He was dead serious, in his short attention span mind, that qualified him as a good pistol shot.  God help us all