Since getting a used N64 over a year ago, our family has been dragged forward into the modern console-game era. Starting with Pong in the 70s, the consoles have evolved into a three-dimensional world where you can bag a deer, haul in a trophy bass, and save the known universe from near-certain annihilation ...all before noon.
Our latest addition has been the Playstation 2. This is a current console in that game titles for the PS2 are still being released for it and you can find games in chain stores like Target and Wal-Mart. It is also a very nice step down from the $30+ game prices of the PS3, Xbox 360, and the Wii. Any PS2 titles we get will still be playable on a PS3 when we upgrade years from now.
If we upgrade at all, that is.
Since our son took his birthday money and bought a used PS2 for his birthday a few months back, we have enjoyed ...okay, I have enjoyed the games a little too much. You'd be amazed how much of my chronic pain fades to the background when I'm trying to fight my way through to the next goal of a game. This has had a carry-over affect on our 9 year-old son that has kept me worried quite a bit.
Last night, God worked it out for us to visit a family we hadn't caught up with in a long time. One of the things that came through our conversation last evening was that they have seen such a change over the last few months by limiting PC and console games to an hour a day with their children. I seem to remember that limit existing for our N64 console so very long ago.
Fast-forward to this morning. Attitudes were somewhere south of awful and my bride of 15 years was pulling her hair out trying to work with our surly brood. The idea of an hour limit, fresh from our talk last night, burst forth on the scene like a level 99 Sora with his Ultima Weapon blazing! We seized the opportunity to pray about it and we both felt like an hour on weekdays and an hour and a half on weekends would be more than enough for our kids to have, after they've completed their chores and with no "guarantee" that they will always have that time (i.e., we have something come up and they don't get their time, then it's too bad).
It is now 30 minutes after we have instituted the hour rule and already attitudes are north of decent. Young and old are plotting how to get to play board games with each other and, if they don't know how, by golly they'll teach them how to play! It's amazing! What we couldn't beg them to do before the limit is now somehow what they really want to do. The hour limit was drastic, but already I feel my family coming back out from under the control of pixels and programs. We don't like making hard and fast rules like this, but this is one rule I think my family can't do without.
While I don't have an hour limit (yet), I also plan to limit my time on the PS2. My fictional fishing buddies may miss me, but I'd rather have a real family anyway.
Anyone up for Dominoes?
2 comments:
We noticed a change in our kids' attitudes with a mere 20 minutes of "educational" computer games. Let alone their love of all things Wii and Xbox 360!
So they are not guaranteed 20 minutes a day of screen time, especially if they start acting entitled to "their" time. But since it is Dash's 9th b-day tomorrow, I imagine it will be a fun day of brain mush inducing video games-- for several HOURS (if not half the day!)... and they will relish the special treat of it all.
If your kids ever complain about their hour of time, just tell them they should be glad that they aren't MY kids! LOL Although my husband and I can totally relate-- we have addictive personalities, especially when it comes to the computer and video games!
Yup, I'm one of those people that gets lost in a game and then wonders why he's so hungry 6 hours later.
So far, they've really appreciated their time and they realize that it's a better life for them if they limit their time on the computer. It's been great!
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