Everybody was into video games when Atari first hit the market about 20 or so years ago. It was something that every family should have and they played for hours. Now, video games have become more sophisticated and are mostly played by younger and younger groups of kids. But, even though these games are fun, watch out or your kid will morph into the unyielding vegetable known as the couch potato.

Video games do have their redeeming qualities just like television, but it should be control.

Even if you don’t know who is the Incredible Hulk or how to make use the power of the Cybertronian Key, you can make sure that they are not the only thing your kid knows about. Video games are a way for your kids to relax but not the only way. Engage your children in other activities to break the couch potato cycle. Obesity is now an epidemic with our kids. They lack proper daily exercise to keep their weight under control.

Endless video game playing has added to the sedentary lifestyle of today’s youth. Instead of playing outdoors with balls and bats they are inside sitting comfortably on the couch or one of those gaming chairs and signing on for virtual worlds unknown to most parents. It scares you because you no longer understand the world of video gaming (this part, I am excluded).

Video games are mostly played sitting down. That’s how they were designed. Think of it like an office job. Computers were designed to be used sitting down. It’s a necessary evil but it doesn’t have to ruin your health.

One solution is a set schedule for their afternoon. When your kids get home from school, let them know the order of the day. First, they can tackle chores. After energizing them, lead them to the homework table. Read a comic book if there’s no homework or play outside for a while.

What do you know; it’s now time for dinner. After dinner, they have a choice of television or video games. All of the other important things are done so they can relax and unwind with either but not both. This limits their time to one or at most two hours of gaming a day as their last activity before bed. After all of the other stuff you’ve given them to do, they might just fall into bed early.

Break the couch potato cycle with a limit on video games and other creative ideas.

Tags: couch potato, obesity, Parenting, syndrome