X-Box is ruining this country

I had loads of consoles (pretty much everything since the mega drive, yeah I was kinda brought up to be a gamer... :P) when I was little, my brother and I weren't to play them on a school night (we were allowed to play outside with the other kids, which we did almost every night) but weekends we could use them as much as we wanted... When we weren't out of the house walking or playing some kind of sport/bike riding with my family and my friend's families. We weren't limited to how long we could play them, we just never got enough time to do it! :P

So I have to agree, it's a parenting thing, they have to make the effort to do more things with their kids instead of just buying them a games console and treating it as a babysitter.

I agree that it's mostly a parenting problem, and I admire all of you parents who have the consoles, and have come up with ways of limiting the time spent using them. It seems very simple.

I suppose the reason I won't OWN those systems it because I am a bit afraid that I would succumb to the temptation to let him play too much, so that I can get stuff done. I'm a single dad and the custodial parent. I work an hour from home. I have only the tiniest sliver of time to get housework done. I don't have cable either btw! Yeah. . I know. . weird. .

But another thing I've observed, being an gamer myself, is that it can, at times, consume your thoughts. It becomes all you want to do and everything else is a chore in comparison. I don't want my boy grudgingly playing outside because I won't let him play his favorite x-box game. .

I'm not sure if you saw my earlier comment, but I really think trying to get him involved in some recreational sports program or activity with other kids would be a big help here. It'll help him meet other kids his age who are doing things outdoors and being very active. All 6 of us growing up had video games, and we all played sports. Most of my teammates when I was young also came over the play games at my place or I went to theirs on the days when we didn't have practice or something else to do. I was a runner and tennis player until my senior year of high school. My brothers all played baseball, basketball, and football, and my sister played soccer.

Have you considered getting him into some sports programs? Most of the kids who are involved in youth sports are very active and, while they enjoy video games too, they also enjoy being outdoors and having fun. It's a great way to meet other local kids with similar interests as your son with parents with similar parenting styles (more outdoor engagement and less indoor entertainment).

Just a thought.

He's in gymnastics. He's extremely athletic. I'm not so much worried about him, as the difficulty we've had finding other kids who want to be outside like he does.

Are there other kids in his gymnastic program that he could hang out with in his free time?

if you are looking to dump your XBox, i'll buy it from you.

It's definitely not "X-box" it's parent's not limiting their time playing it. My son loves playing his Wii but he only gets 1hr a day and he can earn an extra 15min for certain activities he does (such as cleaning his room, doing homework) to up to an addition hour of time. All things in moderation.. doesn't only apply to food.

If i was a parent, i'd sneak up behind my kid playing Halo.....silently.........patiently closing in on him..... THEN SLAP HIM ACROSS HIS FACE!! *BRRAPPPPP!!!!*
[/quote

Am I a totally terrible parent for laughing out loud at this?

I laughed as well!

ok good I dont feel so bad anymore

I just say what parents are scared to say xD
Good thing im only 21 =p

I would agree that its a parenting problem.

And did you say you fight the urge to let him on the computer while you do Housework?
Hey are you single?


Anyway in my neighborhood... I have a different problem... my kid doesn't want to play outside cause the kids are always out there and there's one in particular who is really mean and runs the street... she won't let anyone out there to play unless she's in the middle of it.... even if you're in your own yard minding your own business she'll yell through the street to talk to you.
She's abusive to my daughter and I've gotten into it with the mother and so she's been told to fck off but ain't to business anyone's got that ain't hers. She's in the third grade.
So I take my daughter to parks and such but she doesn't play on the street.

I'd kinda like to have your problem of no one on the street...,
Grass isn't always greener but you sound like a great parent.


I would def try a local park or something to that effect---there you will find like minded parents such as yourself who will have similar kids... you'll have social issues to overcome there as well but typically parents might be more proactive to say something.

http://www.damnrofl.com/2204/mom-said-go-play-outside.html

Saw this thread and thought of a posting I saw on Facebook this morning - it seems appropriate here,

I agree that it's mostly a parenting problem, and I admire all of you parents who have the consoles, and have come up with ways of limiting the time spent using them. It seems very simple.

I suppose the reason I won't OWN those systems it because I am a bit afraid that I would succumb to the temptation to let him play too much, so that I can get stuff done. I'm a single dad and the custodial parent. I work an hour from home. I have only the tiniest sliver of time to get housework done. I don't have cable either btw! Yeah. . I know. . weird. .

But another thing I've observed, being an gamer myself, is that it can, at times, consume your thoughts. It becomes all you want to do and everything else is a chore in comparison. I don't want my boy grudgingly playing outside because I won't let him play his favorite x-box game. .

I suggest having your son help you with chores. It teaches much more than you can imagine... and if you're OCD/anal about how things are done give him a job that you don't care so much about how its done... like finding stuff in the couch cushions... if he totally botches that job it'll be alright... have him take off the cushions put the stuff away that he finds and then let him vaccum out the bottoms and then show him how to put the cushions back right.
Totally something you probably wouldn't have had time to get done and if he does it wrong, no harm no foul cause for real who looks in the cushions?
And he will feel that he contribute something to the household and helped his dad, especially when his dad is all I couldn't have done it without you, you did awesome.


My kid loves wiping off the table and wasting spray on stuff. Makes me crazy but hey what's she hurting? Nada. Especially since I get empty spray bottles from the dollar store and I can fill them with 98% water.

Don't want your kid spending life cleaning? Have him work half the time as you.

And we don't have cable either. We have netflix and a xbox and wii.... and sometimes Im just like shut that **** off!! And two days ago our vision went out on the living room tv and she's not so caring as to get a smaller TV from one of her rooms to hook up.
She did get bugged when I told her I'd have to wait until like March to buy a new one though... she said a month or two will be fine...