My kids love computer games. Not exactly earth shattering I know. I guess I don't really know a family with kids, who doesn't know how BIG games are. We find ourselves in frequent discussion (or should I say battle) with our children wanting (or begging) us for 5 more minutes on the computer, the DS, or the Xbox. Sometimes the love of playing an Internet game is more appealing than playing outdoors... sometimes you can't even get your kids to acknowledge your existence. Ever been there?
Is there anything good that can come from having your kids boarderline addicted to a computer game? I try to find the good in everything. Right or wrong, I actually use computer games as a reward for good behavior, completed homework, and a clean room. When my children do wrong, not only are there no games, but the computer goes up on shelf, out of reach. Sometimes it sits there for days!
I also like to use their Internet or game playing time as downtime for me. Yes... I'm that mom. I let them play while I work on the house, make dinner, or talk to a friend on the phone. They're occupied an happy, which makes me happy, and I get all my boxes checked.
What are your children's favorite games? Do you monitor what they play? Do you regulate the number of minutes... or perhaps hours they're allowed to play? If you're children love trucks, have you found a good online game?
A couple years ago, I found a game called Cake Mania, which I shared on another blog, dedicated to my love of cake decorating. Now I'm finding Truck Mania 2. I suppose there's a Truck Mania 1 too! If your kids like games where a healthy race is at play, then I suppose they'd like Truck Mania.
You do need to be careful with any game you find online. If you're asked to download anything, be sure to research the download first. My kids have both downloaded games that have kept me up late at night trying to debug and repair. Not my idea of a good time. Be sure you're kids know the rules about downloading! Clicking in the wrong place can result in costly repairs. But then again, you probably already knew that!
Have you found a favorite educational online game that your kids love to play? If so, do share. :)
Wendy is the blessed mom to a 10 year old son with Asperger's
Syndrome, a beautiful 9 year old daughter, & 6 children (miscarried) in
heaven. She's temporarily given up homeschooling to give her son the peer
modeling he was missing at home, essential for proper development in a child
with autism. Currently she works full-time with special needs children as a
para-educator. 
2 comments:
same my kids are fanatic of games:)
My son loves to play online. But we limit where he can go. I'm more hands on while he's on the Internet than I am at other times. I guess I'm more worried about random clicking and downloading than I want to admit :)
www.wunderfulhomeschool.wordpress.com
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