| The negative impacts of the media, TV, movies, | | | | 4) To spend time with siblings, parents, and friends - to |
| internet, and video games on our children are not only | | | | build relationships. |
| blatantly apparent, but ever-increasing. Without even | | | | 5) To learn how to appropriately act when you win or |
| going into the much more important effects of | | | | lose a game - being a good winner and loser. |
| immorality, loss of values, violent behaviors, and | | | | 6) To enhance their social skills, develop team-work |
| ingrained selfishness, the reality is that these | | | | abilities, and how to cooperate with others they like or |
| overly-popular mediums are contributing to the loss of | | | | dislike. |
| the essential attributes, activities, and abilities that all | | | | 7) To learn how to control their temper, practice |
| children need to develop. | | | | self-discipline and self-restraint, and realize that life |
| Children need to play games much more than they | | | | sometimes is not fair. |
| currently are. Why? For their social, emotional, physical, | | | | 8) To learn how to share, take turns, and give. |
| and intellectual well-being - that is why! And it is the | | | | 9) To learn how to follow rules, make decisions, and |
| parent's responsibility to ensure this happens. | | | | think logically. |
| Unfortunately, we as parents can all agree that turning | | | | 10) To increase their educational and intellectual abilities: |
| on the TV or a movie to act as a temporary | | | | colors, shapes, numbers, reading performance, and |
| 'babysitter' is certainly easier than the time, effort, and | | | | verbal and communication skills. |
| creativity required to play games with our child. | | | | 11) To increase self-esteem, positive confidence, and |
| While I certainly understand there are positive things | | | | give the child a sense of identity. |
| that do come from TV, movies, the internet, etc. - let's | | | | 12) To develop athletic ability, hand-eye coordination, |
| not be ignorant to the fact that the pro's are | | | | dexterity, and visual perception. |
| substantially less than the con's when it comes to the | | | | 13) To teach the importance of playing fair, not |
| entertainment the world provides. Rather, we as | | | | cheating, sharing, and being a good sport. |
| parents need to resolve to make a much greater | | | | 14) To laugh, have fun, smile, relax, and benefit from all |
| effort to play games with our children and encourage | | | | the other psychological pro's that result from playing. |
| them to play games instead of idly wasting time on | | | | 15) It is important to remember that the real reason |
| these ever so popular and addictive electronic devices. | | | | why children must spend more time playing games |
| Of the hundreds of reasons why parents need to turn | | | | actually has nothing to do with games at all. This is |
| off the TV and computer more, and why children | | | | about ensuring that the negative influences of the TV, |
| need to play games much more often, let me suggest | | | | movies, internet, and video games do not diminish the |
| just 15 of the most important reasons: | | | | physical, mental, social, psychological, and spiritual health |
| 1) To develop the creative and imaginative ability within | | | | of our children. This is about being a parent, not |
| all of us. | | | | allowing electronics to be a babysitter. This is about |
| 2) To be active, exercise, run around, and thus be | | | | developing character, not only about having fun. And |
| more fit and healthy. | | | | just as important, this is about spending time with |
| 3) To learn how to interact, communicate with, and | | | | family, strengthening relationships, and developing |
| work and play with others. | | | | necessary life skills through wholesome entertainment. |