The Family That Plays Together

We got a wii for Hanukkah.  And yes, we were maybe some of the last people on the planet to obtain said gaming system.  I was one of those, what the hell am I going to do with a wii kind of people?  I don't really like video games.  And we don't really NEED ONE.  But my four year old started Occupational Therapy for some fine motor and gross motor issues and his OT suggested it as something we could do at home to work on gross motor skills.  And then I received a wii fit at a Nintendo blogging party and my mom offered to buy us a wii for Hanukkah, and we ended up with a wii.

It is has totally changed the way my family interacts with each other.  My husband has never been TV person.  And I love TV.  So in the evenings, after my son went to bed, I would watch tv and he would go up in his office and do whatever.  Unless we specifically scheduled time to watch a movie together, or we were working on a project for the house together, we weren't really "together."  Now we wii

And my four year old loves this thing.  He begs to play it.  He wakes up every morning yelling, time to wake up and wiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!  And I really do see what his OT is talking about.  The sports games are active.  And he is always moving.  And I would rather have him moving around then watching TV.  Also, we just have to threaten to take the wii away and Michael falls right in line.  It is my new favorite discipline technique.

I am cognizant though of too much "screen time."  I have always been fairly strict about television time for Michael, but I see myself slipping when it comes to the wii.  Do I add up wii time with TV time to come to the total, or is it separate?  And because it is active, I don't seem to care as much because Michael is not sitting on the couch and vegging out.

I'm sure the newness will wear off soon and things will go back to normal.  But I really like the fun family time we have been having.  Even if it is getting a tad competitive.       

Original DC Metro Moms post. Jodi blogs at Jodifur about being a wife, mother, attorney, and everything in between.  You can also follow Jodi on twitter.