A mom asked me: “My 8-year-old son wants to have a few friends over to play computer games. The kids will each bring their own laptops so they can play online together. Should I let them? Shouldn’t they be doing other things if they are going to spend time together?” First, let’s consider the bigger […]
I just received a couple of great comments from Joey, a mature 14-year-old with some great insights on parenting. You can see his comments on my post on “Get your kids off the computer without nagging” and “Video game addiction.” Joey’s comments are a great lead into my post today. I was interviewed by Aurelia […]
You’ve heard the extremes. Twelve-year-old dies after playing 12 hours of computer games. “Grand Theft Auto” led teen to kill. As parents, we worry over that kind of news, and know that it could happen. But if we tell our kids those incidences as reasons to stop playing computer/video games, they’ll roll their eyes at […]
Parents: Don’t be afraid to go with your gut feeling. If you see your children spending too much time and obsessing over video games, and you feel something is wrong with that, you are probably right. It’s time to get rid of the games. Don’t second guess yourself: “That’s just what kids do nowadays, isn’t […]
Is playing computer/video games any worst than wasting time watching TV? Yeah, we agree it’s a waste of time, but is that bad? Do parents need be so concern about their kids playing computer/video games? In Playstation Nation, Olivia and Kurt Bruner explain that watching TV is a passive activity. It serves as a distraction […]
“If I keep asking and asking and asking, eventually my mom will give in.” Kids have an innate ability to manipulate their parents to get what they want. When it comes to allowing them to play computer/video games, we as parents are most vulnerable to giving in. We set time limits and consequences, but somehow, […]
“What would you wish your parents would do differently?” I asked this of some 10th and 11th graders in class today. Several of them shouted out, “I wish they wouldn’t be so overprotective.” “I wish they would let me go out more.” “They should let me drive.” I suppose that answer doesn’t surprise me. Every […]
