[sapci]

I want to know how you guys feel about kids spending too much time with video games, TV and movies. I don't have a kid right now but I'll be a father someday and it's kind of scary to think about how to keep my future children from wasting too much time on these stuff. Do you think it is normal for the kids of today to be so involved with TV and games? Are they just adapting to the technological age? Or should parents act as a control mechanism to minimize their exposure to them? I also listened to an interview with Uma Thurman, the actress and she feels like this is what the conditions of today require kids to act this way and it's just normal. What do you think? Oh, by the way, here is the link to the article if you're interested: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/uma-...lks-motherhood

[AussieD]

I think parents need to take control and definitely limit the amount of time watching TV and on video games. We spent more time with our kids playing board games and doing things together. That's now what my son and his wife do with their kids too.

[DeirdreZ]

I'm a college student doing a research report on outdoor play. I'd really appreciate it if you could take 5 min just to fill out this survey to help me with my research.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?s...QlKfiuDA_3d_3d

[swt1899]

It is definitely a problem. Our best friends have one son and he is allowed to spend as much time with video games and TV as he wants. I am seeing he doesn't like to go outside and play, make new friends, or even play with his action figures. I have been a junior high school teacher for 7 years and have seen some long term affects of this... when given a project where the kids could create a diarama, poster, powerpoint presentation, etc. Many of those whom I knew were video gamers kept asking me if they could just write a report and be done with it. NO IMAGINATION! While hand eye coordination is being exercised with the games, their imaginations are rotting away. They aren't reading books to expand their minds and reading abilities. Their bodies are becoming sedimentary and they are not exercising. And these kids are not interested in after school activities. They'd rather go home and play their video games than play football, baseball, soccer, participate in clubs, etc.
My husband and I regulate TV with our son. 1-2 hours a day at most. The rest of the time he is playing with his toys, building with blocks, and interacting with us. When he gets older I won't protest games completely. There will be regulations. And he will need to be involved with something when he goes to school.
It is a struggle. I think with parents having to work twice as hard now to make ends meet, they allow video games to provide entertainment for their children. They don't have to be supervised as much, but I think it takes away parent/child interaction.
There is a group of kids on our street that all play outside together after school and on the weekends. They ride bikes, play kickball, baseball and football. They are out and about which I think IS a childhood. I think this builds communication skills, helps them interact with other people properly and builds character.
Jus my 2 cents.

[hambo]

I think the important thing is to make sure they have other options, sometimes I think parents take the easy way out, which is to let them play on computers or watch TV. It's understandable as so many families are having to work so hard these days that its hard to find the energy to do active stuff with the kids.

Kids love to do things with their parents so just take some time out to relax and enjoy yourself. A nice walk in the park (even on a winters day can be nice), play in the garden, a bike ride - there is loads of stuff you can do. There's nothing wrong with letting them watch some TV and play some computer games, just a case of making sure its all in moderation.