not all video games are bad.

my children were home alone, and had two friends over. i called on my way home and asked kid#2 what they were doing.

#2-"we are playing poptropica"

that is a video game. the only video game that has snuck into my house. they have to think, finish mazes, answer riddles, etc to get points. they have been playing this A LOT this summer and today. it isn't TOTALLY mindless, but it is still them sitting, staring. so i say..

me- "STOP! you have been playing this all afternoon! you need to stop and do something else."

#2 - "but mom it is so fun! we are all doing it together! "

me- "what is jack doing?"

#2- "he is playing too!"

me- "ug! you need to take a break, all of you! too much of this is not good."

#2- "but mom! it is so cool! pleeeeese!?"

well this conversation went on for a bit with her fighting hard to keep playing. she finally agreed that i would be home in 5 min and then they would stop.

so i walked in the door and they had turned the front room into a REAL video game. no computer at all. mazes, rocks (pillows) to hop across lava, puzzles to figure out, shrinking mirrors so you could turn small, and colin and jack were happily rowing a box down the nile.

oh. um. go ahead. you can play some more.