As my tween is growing up, his body is getting longer and bigger.  Inside he is the same crazy kid and doesn’t always realize what that big body of his can do.  Things like jumping on the couch don’t work so well anymore.  Because he is so big, we have to get on him for this because he could easily break it.

I find that he also needs space to run free and be a little wild at times.  We have a small playroom in our house that we use for video games, a small children’s table and a couch.  He has quickly out grown this kid table and might possibly break the little chairs that he used to fit so comfortably in.

I am finding that he needs a more grown up space.  A place without lots of furniture so he can wrestle with his friends and  play war and nerf  gun games.  I found some awesome mattresses that are quite classy and look like couches that would be ideal for an area to play, jump and be crazy!

I hate always getting after him to not jump on the couch and shoot Nerf guns in the house.  I am ready for a new place with a desk his size, a place to play video games, a place to jump and run and shoot things.  A perfect place for my active tween boy!!  I better get planning….

What area in your home have you found that is functional and comfortable for your tween?

**I realize this might be a controversial post!  But it is an issue with tween boys especially that we should all think about!

I was that Mother that swore my children would never play video games.  We would be too busy running barefoot outside to even have TIME for something like video games!

Then, my tween was exposed to Mario Cart and his life was forever changed!  I immediately went from that Mother who wanted nothing to do with video games to a Mother who had a Nintendo game cube IN her house!

Now, I am actually fairly partial to this subject!  I found that video games are a big part of kids  social lives!  If my tween can’t play video games at home, he will find places at his friends homes where he can play!  So I gave in, I don’t want him to be this outcast who has no idea how to use a video control.  At the same time, I very much limit the use of my tweens video game time!  Since school has started, he hardly plays at all.  Maybe a little on the weekend, or his PSP when we go on a trip.  Otherwise video game time is few and far between.  But, he knows how to play and loves it.  He can get together with his little friends and play games with them!  The way these video games are used in our house is under control…it is fun for a little while here and there but it isn’t my tweens life!

Here are a few interesting facts that I found on the website, Raise Smart Kids;

Good Effects of Video Games -

*   Following instructions

*   Problem solving and logic

*   Hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills.

*   Resource management and logistics.

*    Multitasking, simultaneous tracking of many shifting variables and managing multiple objectives.

*    Quick thinking, making fast analysis and decisions.

*    Strategy and anticipation

*    Developing reading and math skills

*     Perseverance

*     Pattern recognition

*     Estimating skills

*    Inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing

*    Mapping

*     Memory

*    Reasoned judgments

*     Teamwork and cooperation when played with others

*      Simulation, real world skills

Negative Effects of Video Games -

*      Increased violence or aggression (from violent video games)

*      Social isolation

*      Not exercising the imagination or imaginative thinking

*      Poor values (from violent video games)

*      Confusion between reality and fantasy

*      Poor performance in school (if TOO much time is spent gaming)

*      Negative effects on some children’s health, including obesity, video-induced seizures.  Postural, muscular and skeletal disorders, such as tendinitis, nerve compression, carpal tunnel syndrome

There you have it, now you are informed!  Do a little google search on your own and find out more about this subject.  Just like anything else, each tween is unique and we as parents need to be there to help  make the right choices for our tweens!

If your kids are like mine at all, they are easily mesmerized by the glow of the Xbox or Nintendo DS (or any other particular console you may have.) Whether its sports, fantasy or strategy games, at some point in my week I need to fend off two obsessed little men who will do almost anything for “just a few” more minutes of game time.

We have never allowed them to play excessively. We have a timer that is set and they cannot go over 60 minutes per day. Sounds easy enough…..right? Not so fast!

The boys have to earn their time on the clock. They do things like go to bed on time (no whining), get ready in the morning (without being told 10 times to do s0) and they help with little chores. All of this earns them “daddy dollars” that they can spend on game minutes. One dollar earns them 10 minutes. This works well on the front end of game time….to get them started. It is when itis time to turn off the console that the real problem begins.

I hear “I need to finish this battle” or “Can I ride it just one more time?” It never fails. Not once has the timer beeped and immediately been followed with the controller down and game off. What has also never failed is that I do not allow the extra time so someone please tell me why they keep trying anyway??

I suppose it will always be like this….time is earned, timer beeps, groveling begins and I reply again “no, turn it off.”

Anyone else have little gamers to contend with? What is your strategy to limit time?

On a side note…anyone looking to create your own daddy dollars for an incentive here is the link.

I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of video games.  However, lately, the girls have received some games that are absolutely wonderful.  The games require them to work as a team in many situations, to get physical activity, and they are forced to think.  It’s kind of mind blowing when you consider the advances in electronics from just 10 years agos.  But anyway, here’s my list of favorites and why:

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games:  I love this game because the girls can play on a team.  More importantly, there’s a ton of different activities within the game and all of them get the kids moving.  It’s great for a rainy day when you can’t really get out and do anything. 

Wii Sports Resort:  The girls received this one for Christmas from their grandmother.  I really like it because it’s perfect for a tween (not too complicated), gets the blood flowing, and makes them think about how they’re going to approach various obstacles in certain resort “areas.”  They love the bicycle race and actually work up a sweat when the peddle with their arms.  Overall, I am a huge fan. 

Up:  Based on the movie.  I love this game because it makes the girls think.  In addition, they both have to work together to get through the obstacles in the game.  There isn’t a whole lot of moving involved, but for a 6-year-old, there’s quite a bit of thinking. 

Lego Batman:  I think my husband enjoys this one more than the kids.  It isn’t exceptionally physical, but does require a lot of thinking.  The girls are starting to figure it out, which to me is rather amazing.  There’s a lot of teamwork involved in this game as well. 

So which games do your tweens love?  Do you like them too?  Why or why not? Please share in the comments below.

Not all video games are made equal; be sure to choose ones that inspire physical activity.

While our focus is on nutrition this month, parents who want total health and fitness for their tweens must also consider how their children are expending their energy. Know that when it comes to video games, not all of them are equal.

Children love playing video games, and playing active versions of these games may help stop children from becoming obese, University of Hong Kong researchers report.

In fact, children playing active video games have higher heart rates and burn four times as many calories a minute than children playing passive video games, according to this new study.

“Technological change in our homes, schools and workplaces has meant the amount of walking we do has declined significantly, and in its place, disproportionately greater amounts of time are spent seated,” said lead researcher Alison M. McManus, from the university’s Institute of Human Performance. “With childhood obesity posing the largest international health riddle, converting seated activities into active ones is an important goal.”

Parents need to be creative in their endeavors to get children active, McManus said. Children play video games, because it is fun, exciting and challenging, but it is largely conducted seated, she added.

“The children in this study had a lot of fun playing media games and burnt up calories, showing that making video game media active can certainly help in our efforts to get children active,” McManus said. “The challenge is for industry to continue developing new and exciting games that integrate physical activity into the virtual game environment.”

The report was published in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

McManus and her colleague, Robin R. Mellecker, measured heart rate and number of calories burned in 18 children aged 6 to 12, who played an active video game, a passive video game, and an action/running game. Over 25 minutes, the children alternated between the three games with a five-minute rest in between each game, the researchers noted.

McManus and Mellecker found that compared with resting children, 39 percent more calories per minute were burnt playing the video passive game, 98 percent more calories per minute were burnt playing the active bowling game, and 451 percent more calories per minute were burnt playing the action/ running game. Moreover, the researchers found that heart rates were significantly higher during the active game and the action game compared with playing the seated video game.

Playing active video games resulted in meaningful amounts of energy being expended in comparison to the normal seated game environment, McManus said.

“In the J-Mat game — Jackie Chan Action Run — the children raised their heart rate to 160 beats per minute, expending more than 5 kilocalories of energy per minute compared with only 1.3 kilocalories when seated,” McManus said. “When using the XaviX Bowling game, which essentially is a standing game with light intensity movement, children expended 0.6 kilocalories per minute more than seated computer game play.”

For more tips, visit OHealthy’s article on “Active Video Games Help Kids Exercise.”