How many video Game systems do you have in your household? I have five, count them five, and that’s not including the three computers we also have in the house. Of course only three of them can be played at any given time, but in my opinion that’s still an awful lot of systems, and a lot of time wasted playing games. I must admit however, I am not immune to the video game bug. As an avid reader in possession of a creative mind my favorite style of game is Role Playing Games, or RPG. I just can’t pass up a good storyline. These games are so addictive I sometimes get my children to play them, just so I can watch and follow the storyline.

Are video games destroying our children’s minds? While it is true that a lot of games are either a total escape from reality or violent enough to make Attila the Hun cringe, video games can teach a variety of skills including decision-making and hand-eye co-ordination. If you look hard enough there are also video games with educational applications, teaching reading, math, history, and even science. The key to what your child learns while playing a video game is your supervision and participation. An informed parent can help choose appropriate games, monitor frustration levels, and guide their children in seeing their game in a different way.

Another concern about video games is the lack of social interaction as well as the lack of physical activity. Here again, it’s up the parent to regulate how often and how long their child plays. The best way to do this is to start as early as possible and set reasonable limits. My answer to this was in getting them to play the games I enjoyed watching, or so I told myself. Sometimes it would work and I’d have children begging me to be allowed to go outside and play instead, other times it would backfire and a whole day would be wasted.

Games are a great way to teach our children skills that can help them as they grow. This week we will be looking, not only at video games and how to make informed decisions, but also at board games, card games, and active games.

Do you play computer or video games with your children? Which one is your favorite?