Mom's Growing Concerns Over the Nintendo Wii
A couple of months ago now, I bought a Nintendo Wii for my husband's birthday. Mind you, I had been holding out for years on the video game issue, repeatedly stating my concerns about turning our three kids into couch potatoes. After much praise about the Wii's ability to keep kids moving while they played, he wore me down and reassured me that it would be ok.
Well, only a couple months later and it's not okay now. They all, my husband included, quickly lost interest in the Wii sports games which, incidentally, do not involve as much movement as I was led to believe. No... now they play games that look pretty much like classic arcade-style games where the only body parts getting exercise are their fingers and thumbs!
My husband thinks this is not so bad. He continually attributes part of his success in robotic surgery to his hours of video-game play as a teenager. I am highly doubtful this is a cause and effect situation. More likely, he was always gifted in the hand-eye-coordination department and it transferred as easily to video gaming as it does to surgery. (Interesting argument though, Honey, perhaps all that "practice" really did help.)
My youngest's favorite games are the ones that involve driving. (And let's just say you should all be praying his video game ability is absolutely no predictor of future driving skills! Heaven help us all!) These games are actually a hit with all the household players, and we have accumulated several thanks to our local Game Stop's used game sales.
So today after preschool, Ethan asked me to watch him play Cruisin' which is one I've not seen before. I sat down as the course he selected began to load. His car waited at the starting line next to a "short-shorts"-wearing blonde holding a towel in the air. (I said nothing, but made a mental comment about the game being designed by a man.) And Ethan said, "Don't worry. If you think they're wearing underwear, they're really wearing shorts." So he DID notice. Even he knows you should have the sense to wear more clothes so people don't mistake you standing there in your underwear. I just had to laugh.
Is anyone else out there distressed with their Wii-infatuated family? Do tell.
Well, only a couple months later and it's not okay now. They all, my husband included, quickly lost interest in the Wii sports games which, incidentally, do not involve as much movement as I was led to believe. No... now they play games that look pretty much like classic arcade-style games where the only body parts getting exercise are their fingers and thumbs!
My husband thinks this is not so bad. He continually attributes part of his success in robotic surgery to his hours of video-game play as a teenager. I am highly doubtful this is a cause and effect situation. More likely, he was always gifted in the hand-eye-coordination department and it transferred as easily to video gaming as it does to surgery. (Interesting argument though, Honey, perhaps all that "practice" really did help.)
My youngest's favorite games are the ones that involve driving. (And let's just say you should all be praying his video game ability is absolutely no predictor of future driving skills! Heaven help us all!) These games are actually a hit with all the household players, and we have accumulated several thanks to our local Game Stop's used game sales.
So today after preschool, Ethan asked me to watch him play Cruisin' which is one I've not seen before. I sat down as the course he selected began to load. His car waited at the starting line next to a "short-shorts"-wearing blonde holding a towel in the air. (I said nothing, but made a mental comment about the game being designed by a man.) And Ethan said, "Don't worry. If you think they're wearing underwear, they're really wearing shorts." So he DID notice. Even he knows you should have the sense to wear more clothes so people don't mistake you standing there in your underwear. I just had to laugh.
Is anyone else out there distressed with their Wii-infatuated family? Do tell.
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Thanks for the visit!