In the world of child rearing, we are swamped with the latest literature for every stage of life, from when to introduce solid food to the best curfew time.
Guided by these theories, I decided that video games were not good for my children. After years of their pleading, however, I eventually gave in and allowed a Playstation into our home, on the condition that my kids hold to the hour-a-day rule. My son was thrilled beyond belief and so was I, when taking away the Playstation for a two-week period as a punishment resulted in no discipline issues ever again.
My son loved gaming. It helped develop his hand-eye coordination, collaboration and teamwork with friends, persistence to defeat challenges, situational awareness, and ability to work under a time constraint (he wanted to be at the high levels that his friends achieved with no hour-a-day rule).
The theories and beliefs that are thrust on us as new parents can be barriers to the little humans we raise. We have to break down the barriers, listen to our kids, and develop a system that works for them. Because I listened, my son is now an air traffic controller in the military and my daughter is a video game programmer. Who knew?
Dianne Pinder