Do WE really need a Wii??

My in-laws called us today from Costco.  They were out shopping and just happened to see a really good deal on the Nintendo Wii.  They generously asked about contributing to it for a Christmas gift for the kids, and since apparently the Wii is flying out of the stores, wondered if they should get it right now.  You make the call – what do you say?

Two things you should know:  my poor deprived children are some of the few in our neck of the woods that DON’T have a Wii and two, I have a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with all this screen time stuff (video games, computer games, etc). 

I already know my son thinks hopes Santa will be bringing him one this year, and the way I’ve been looking at it, I have 5 months to gently help him understand that it is much too big a gift for Santa to bring (even though 3 of his friends got them from Santa last holiday season). 

I know – there is Wii Fit with aerobics, personal training and yoga and this Zen Mama Wannabe would probably love it all.  But if (and it is a small *if* these days) I get a chance to do yoga, I want to go to a peaceful yoga studio, not position myself in front of the TV.  It’s nothing personal, Wii people; I don’t like yoga DVDs for the same reason.  I’m an “all about the experience” type of gal.

I can tell my husband and I are on different sides of the yoga mat on this one.  “I don’t know, I think it’s still about limits – you just have to limit their time on it,” he tells me as if this will be the convincing argument that makes me suddenly go over to the Dark Side.  But I have ENOUGH to limit as it is.

For the record, our son is not lacking in this department (although he might try to tell you otherwise).  He has Guitar Hero, just like the one for the Wii but you play it on our Mac.  He has this cool baseball video game, similar to the one of the Wii except you play it on our TV instead.  It’s got a bat you swing (a better bat than the Wii) and a ball you pitch (the Wii doesn’t have that – ha!) and from what I can tell it’s pretty cool, it’s just that on the Wii you can make up names for your players and how fun is that?  (Ok – apparently to a 7 year old that part is pretty fun).  He also has 2 more computer games: a Lego Star Wars video game and Rollercoaster Tycoon (one that I actually approve of).   I don’t know….sounds like a lot to me.  You’re really gonna convince me that we need a Wii too??

Reasons to get one:

• My son really really wants one (did I say REALLY?!)
• All his friends have one
• They are always coming out with cool new games for it, which keeps it “new and exciting” and provides relatives with easy gift ideas

Reasons to stay strong – and stay away:

• We already have all these video games; it’s not like he NEEDS more
• He gets enough screen time as it is – as in plenty of it!
• No one will EVER convince me that MORE screen time is a good thing (Let’s just be honest – it scrambles their brains.  You may think having them occupied and out of your hair is worth the price of a little scrambling here and there, and this Zen Mama Wannabe is not one to judge, and I certainly share those sentiments from time to time too, but let’s just be clear on the reasons why they’re using it – it’s NOT certainly to raise their IQ)
• He DOES get to play it when he goes over to his friends’ houses, so he’s not being totally deprived, and it makes playdates at other people’s homes just that much more entertaining and fun

So, what is our final answer?  I hope we don’t get one.  I hope we realize we have enough as it is and appreciate what we have.  I hope he finds new (better) things to wish for.  I hope I can just keep my resolve through Christmas!   

Comments

[callieandbatido]

I will start by saying, we have a Wii. My two kids (10 and 14) mostly play it when friends come over so there isn't a big monitoring issue. That said, don't cave in Zennmamma. The Wii is the "must have" for now but it will be quickly replaced by another "must have" that will kick the Wii to the corner. And if everyone has one, wouldn't they get old a lot faster?

[Zen Mama Wannabe]

Yeah, I definitely think that is part of it for us; my son doesn't JUST want screen time when friends are over - he wants it A LOT. I joke that he is like a junkie who keeps wanting just a little more and then a little more of his favorite *fix*, but honestly, I'm not sure that's too far off. Maybe if he was more like your kids, and it was easier to monitor, I wouldn't feel so conflicted about getting one. Or not. Hmmmm.

[LarkLady]

Two daughters, now 18 and 14. No Wii in household. No X-Box, either. We have a Play Station that we got more than a few years ago; it's not used often anymore; we also have Dance Dance Revolution, which is. My girls will tell you that they're never the "first on the block" to get anything -- and they're right. I'm more of the "let everyone else try it out first" type ;-) If it's worth having, it will stick around... and the prices will very likely come down.

I'm not as adamant about screen time as you are, Zen Mamma -- but then, my older daughter is a kinesthetic learner and video games do sometimes help her to get a grasp on things. Sigh... If only they made Algebra for Nintendo!

Mostly, I think it's about balance and how to achieve a healthy balance overall, for both you and for your kids. Computer skills are important in today's world... but so are books and playing outside and helping around the house; kids need to have some alone time each day, as well as some time to play with friends and time to be with the rest of the family.

Are your kids getting a reasonably good balance of all of those things?

Given free choice for their free time, would your kids ALWAYS go for the video game?

The answers to those two questions would be significant factors in how I'd answer the Wii or No Wii question. Another one would be how much effort or anxiety it's going to add to YOUR life in monitoring it. (Yes, it's all about limits -- but who's the one there at home having to monitor those limits? I'm guessing that's you, at least most of the time.) And -- I guess here's the kicker: given that none of us has more than 24 hours in a day, what's going to get cut out to allow for Wii time?