Resources

Books

I just finished reading Video Games & Your Kids: How Parents Stay in Control , co-written by Hilarie Cash PhD of Internet/Computer Addiction Services . I didn't need convincing that computer games can cause problems when not used in moderation, but I did enjoy the book. It does a good job explaining all the reasons why you should limit your kids' computer time, and much of it backed up by solid or preliminary research. It was interesting to learn that computer addiction is considered a pervasive public health problem in various Asian countries, even though here in the U.S. it is not.

News

Bill Gates keeps close eye on kids' computer time . I find it interesting that Microsoft Vista has a parental control feature that lets parents choose the hours of the day their kids can use the computer, but it does not make it easy to limit overall time.

"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children devote no more than two hours per day to watching TV and playing video games. Children who regularly exercise and limit their time in front of the TV and computer are much less likely to be overweight than their peers, a new study suggests." This sounds like common sense to me. Here's the full article: Exercise and limited TV time may keep kids trim

Rainy day activities

If your kids don't know what to do with themselves other than play on the computer, how about buying some really good board games? Here are some of my favorites. These games are challenging enough for parents to enjoy, but simple enough for kids to learn quickly and play with friends and siblings.

Hive is a great strategy game for two players. Each game takes at most 15 minutes. The pieces are beautifully made and feel good in the hand. You can play anywhere - all you need is a flat surface. Whoever goes first seems to have a slight advantage, so I let my 8-year-old son go first to make the game more challenging for me.
Go is one of the oldest games. It is easier to learn than chess but infinitely complex. One of the great things about Go is that you can handicap it so your child - no matter how young - can give you a tough game. You can make the game go more quickly by only playing it on a small section of the board.