Hello, My Name is Parker...

and I'm addicted to video games.

I know you might think we are terrible parents for having already introduced Parker to the world of video games, but before you judge, let me explain how we handle it around our house.

Cory has a love for video and computer games. He always has and always will. It is his one hobby, kind of like hunting or golfing is for other guys.

A few months ago, Cory was playing one of his kid friendly games and Parker started watching him. A little while later, Cory showed him how to use the controller to move the characters. From that moment on, Parker became hooked.

Not too long after, the video games started running our lives. Parker wanted to play morning, noon, and night. It was all he talked about and I finally decided that I had had enough. We had to create and start enforcing some new rules.

I don't want Parker to be one of those kids who can't play creatively with toys or who doesn't want to go outside and play just because he wants to play a video game. I work with those kinds of kids every day and they are hard to have conversations with because video games are all that they want to talk about.

Our new rule is that Parker is allowed to play his game for 15 minutes before bedtime every night. That's it. He doesn't play during the day at all.

At first, the new rule was very hard to enforce. Parker asked all. day. long. if he could play and it took a lot of strength to say "no" after being asked for the hundredth time. (You think I am exaggerating!) The "no's" were usually accompanied with full blown tantrums and lots of frustration for both of us.

But, I am happy to say that I have stuck to my guns and have not given in. Not even once.

The result: Parker did not ask once today to play his game. He played all afternoon with me and Eden. We played with toys, worked puzzles, and read books and had a great time.

I wish there was a way to have never introduced Parker to video games, but in this household, that is just not a possibility. I know that it is something that will always be a part of Cory's life, and as a result, it will be a part of Parker's life too.

I think that as long as we stay in control of the situation and limit the amount of time that Parker spends playing on a daily basis, everyone will go to bed happy.