Addict

It's all my fault, I know it is. My son is officially addicted to video games. I knew in my heart that I was creating this monster and I did nothing to stop it. It's easy to justify, I mean, I played video games like crazy when I was kid and I turned out okay, right? Don't answer that!

It's in his genes, video games really could be part of his DNA. Roger owns every play system from Atari to Wii. As a matter of fact, it was our love of video games that united us as a couple. It's rare to find a lady that digs playing Grand Theft Auto as much as I do. It keeps the spice in our marriage. So, we let Griffin play anything that is rated "E for Everyone". You should see him, he plays better than some 13 year olds. It's amazing.

At the end of my pregnancy I was as big as a house and pretty much went limp when it came to video games and TV. I shamelessly let him watch hour after hour of the horrid television while I laid on the couch and moaned. I was in survival mode and the TV was our life line-and the baby sitter! Same thing after I gave birth. There's no one more fun than "Uncle Spongebob" to watch the kid while I take care of our new baby.

This decision has officially bitten me in the ass. He begs ALL the time to play video games or watch Nickelodeon. In the car, driving home from an errand, he'll lay down the groundwork.

It goes something like this...

G: "Mom?"
Me: "Yeah Honey?"
G: "Can I play video games when we get home?"
Me: "No, you're gonna play with a toy and use your imagination."
G: (Yelling) "NO, THAT"S STUPID!"
Me: "Don't yell at me please, it's not smart to yell at the person who can let you play video games!"
G:" Sorry Mom."

Pause

G:"Mom?"
Me: "Yes?"
G: "Can we get a TV for the car? I'm bored!"
Me: "No way, look out the window...make shapes out of the clouds."
(then I make a pathetic attempt to engage him in this activity).
"Oh, look up there, that cloud looks like Mickey Mouse!"
G:"No it doesn't, that's dumb. Spongebob is cool!"

Silence (I've gone limp)

G:"Mom?"
Me: "NO YOU CAN'T WATCH SPONGEBOB WHEN WE GET HOME!"

Then he cries all the way home. I'm determined to break this addiction. I feel like I was the gateway to this. By sheer laziness and survival, I enabled him to get to this point. Well, no more. This Mom is engaging with her kid from here on out. I mean, I can breast feed and build with Lego's, right? I can change a diaper and pretend to be the red Power Ranger at the same time.

Maybe just a little TV? PBS is educational, right?

This is going to be hard but it has to be done!