How Much Time Should My Kid Get With Games?

As many times I've been asked this question, I'm still surprised there isn't a universally recommended amount by pediatricians. Some think that video games cause aggression, depression, obesity, and ADD, while others accept it as a common activity for modern children and tout the benefits to problem solving, team work and critical thinking. That being said, here are some things to consider before you let your kid spend all day on video games.

• If they're playing video games, they're not spending time exercising. Even systems that make you move like the Wii or Xbox Kinect don't give you as much exercise as a game of soccer or a walk to the park.
• Video games often involve creative thinking. Games like Minecraft allow children to build things and explore, giving them a fun way to play with engineering, design, and math.
• If you're sitting down you're more likely to munch. Same with adults! If you're sitting still, you're more likely to mindlessly snack, and before you know it, the whole Pringles can is gone.
• Some video games involve extensive reading. Games like Pokemon are text-heavy, and give young children a motivation to read.
• Staring at a screen can hurt your eyes. Looking at a small screen for too long can damage your eyes and give you headaches. Make sure your child keeps the screen a reasonable distance from their face, and that they take frequent breaks to look at something farther away.

All that beign said, I am pro-video-games-in-moderation. I have a young daughter (almost five) that loves to play video games, but she has a limit of 10 minutes a day. She's learned quite a bit from video games, and it's something we enjoy doing together. Playing the games with your children will not only give you bonding time, but will help make sure that you are aware of the type of games they play. Far too often parents let their children play games that the children ask for, but are rated for older players.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Many computers and console systems (e.g. Xbox, Wii, PS3) allow parents to set up time restrictions. You can set a maximum amount of time and sometimes even time-of-day restrictions. This allows you to say "Jimmy can play on the computer for 2 hours on the weekends and 1 hour during the week, but he can't use it after 7pm." Check your owner's manual to see if you have the ability to set up these kinds of limitations.