After two weeks of gaming gluttony over the holidays, and a new year upon us, Brian & I decided it was time for some changes.
I was so sick of the video game issue. The constant allure. The fighting. The countless hours spent sitting in front of a screen instead of playing outside. The constant monitoring of it. The fact that my 4-year-old talks of sub-machine guns & grenades.
And it's not just Halo, but all of it.
We've tried all kinds of limitations. Playing only after homework & chores are done. No playing or watching anything after 6:00. But I'm sick of policing it all the time & the fights over someone playing a game that someone else bought with their own money, or someone hogging the Xbox....yada, yada, yada........
I'm done! Fed up. I want them out of my house. So they're not even an option.
So we sat the kids down & told them our plan. To pack them all up & put them away. For a long time. So don't even think of asking us when we can get them out again.
It's not like I think video games are evil. It had just become too much of a distraction & point of contention in our home.
Surprisingly, they all took it pretty well. Even Zane. Jake asked if we were going to take away the TV's next. Like Amish people. I said we could be Mormish instead. I'm kind of liking that idea.....
It's been a couple of weeks now & all is well at the Mason Videogame Detox Center. There's more piano practicing & drawing & Lego-building & shooting hoops.
There is still fighting, but at least it's not about games.
5 comments:
Mormish - HA! I LOVE IT!!! Way to go Nicole!
You. Are. So. Strong. (and smart). I do not think video games are healthy for kids... I'm learning of the affects now, with my 15 year old.
Unfortunately, I am neither strong nor smart; I haven't packed them away yet. BUT, there is a LOT less playing. Especially since the weather is so nice. My kids would rather be outside, so that makes my job a bit easier.
I have always been anti tv, video games, etc. Whatever is addictive and time-sucking. We got a wii a few months ago (my husband doesn't feel so strongly about my issues). Anyway, we bring it out ONLY for holidays. It makes the holidays special and the kids know that when the holiday is over we will be putting the wii away again. Works for us.
When Sydney was in 1st grade (she's in 7th now) she was really struggling with her reading. Her teacher had observed that she seemed to have a hard time focusing her eyes on one place and suggested that it was because of the TV or video games. It made sense because you don't really look at one place on the screen when you're watching TV. After much debate, we finally decided that there would be no TV or video games on weekdays at all for the kids. At first it really sucked because I couldn't sit them down to watch something while I fixed our dinner or to get a moment's peace when I needed to make a call but it got easier. Here we are 6 years later and the rule has stuck. They are a lot choosier about what they watch now because they are only allowed to TIVO so much, and they've all become excellent readers!
We got rid of the t.v. about a year and a half ago. The kids at first would ask when we're getting it back and I had to inform them that it was permanent. They would get bugged but as time has gone on the older kiddos are now telling me how much they love not having it. (of course we still have movies and video games, we're opposite Mormish than you guys). Anywho, we spend more time together, they're more active, I don't feel the guilt of so much time wasted, etc., etc. No regrets! I don't think you'll have regrets either. rock on to you!!
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