I have been seeing more and more on the news, online, and hearing on the radio about how much time our kids are spending on video games.  I have to say, that my family is not immune (The little boy in this picture could go head to head with any adult I know at Team Fortress 2 or Halo 3.)

But it wasn’t until I started hearing the word “addiction”, and looking at how hard it is sometimes to tear them away from those games that it really struck me.  It’s not just about a debate on rather games teach good problem solving skills, or rather kids are smarter or not if they play a lot of games.

To me, it’s about getting them to interact well wit others in a real life conversation.  It’s about have kids that don’t sit out of a volleyball game at a picnic because their just not coordinated.  Most of all though, it’s about how my kids reacted when I would pull them away from the games.  It’s wasn’t just something they like to do.  It had gone beyond that… it was need.

That’s one of the reasons I love the fact that I get my kids out to Judo class 3 times a week.  They get physical, they laugh, they play, and they socialize with other kids.  They learn to protect themselves, and they learn self esteem.

At least that’s the hope

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