Video Games - Dayton,OH

It really depends on your child and his "need" to play.
One of my kids loved playing games but also loved playing outside and doing sports, if someone knocked on the door he was "outta here" to go play. The other son lived and breathed the games and it was harder to get him to remain "well rounded".
Basically they CAN get addicted to the stimulus of the game and everything else becomes "boring" to them. I believe you do need to monitor it and keep a healthy balance for your son because he's too young to walk away from it on his own and can get drawn in and then that's when you may experience a problem. If your son doesnt go all crazy when you tell him he has to stop and do something else then you are probably okay.

I have 4 children ages 9, 7, 4 and 2 and another on the way. I started the marble jar about 6 mo. ago. My 9 year old doesn't like it but I get things done that I need from him and he gets to do things he wants....which he LOVES to play anything electronic. So this is what our system looks like:

You can earn more marbles by – this is w/o having to be asked/reminded
15 - Reading a book for 15 minutes, (20 – 20 min etc.)
2 – Using your manners – please, thank you, excuse me etc.
2 – Brush your teeth
1 - Getting dressed
3 – Empty dishwasher (5 if you put them all away, 3 if you only empty it)
3 – Empty washer into dryer (ask 1st)
3 – Bring laundry down
4 – Praising sibling/showing kindness
2 – Making bed
3 – BONUS * if none is removed all day

Sarah only:

5 – Not peeing in pull up at night
5 – Staying in own bed all night (this is 10 p.m. – 7 a.m.)

Lose Marbles
5 – If I have to ask more than once for you to do something
5 – Arguing w/each other
3 – Playing game system when not allowed (this also playing over the allowed time)
5 – Lying
4 – Taking a toy from someone else w/o politely asking for it
5 – Taking more than 5 minutes in the shower
3 – Turning on the TV w/o asking
3 – Whining
4 – Unkind words to anyone (ugly, stupid etc.)

IF you take any out or try to cheat the system in any way – you lose all your marbles.

Rewards
*Allowed 30 minutes of free TV time during school year weekdays
*Allowed 60 minutes of free TV time during school year weekends

15 – Get 30 minutes of extra TV time
30 – Get 30 minutes of game time (this is Wii, gaming systems, and computer)

15 – Stay up extra 15 minutes – this has to be cashed in before 7 p.m. to be effective for the current day

Nathaniel bedtime (9:00 p.m.)
Isaiah bedtime (8:45 p.m.)
Sarah & Silas bedtime (8:30 p.m.)

50 - $5 cash
100 - $10

This allows them to control how much game time they have because misbehavior can eliminate their marbles. My 7 year old wants to play for 12 minutes and I am a stickler for it being at least 30 minutes because they get involved and don't want to turn it off. I monitor this w/a timer.

Good luck!

My soon to be 13 y/o son does not own a videogame and never had...so I do not have that problem :)

During the week he's not allowed to play until homework/chores are done; and if his folder was signed at school then not at all. Weekends we typically don't monitor it, however if it seems to us that he's been playing a lot or if his attitude stinks we'll say no more for today. He seems to go in cycles; plays a ton then won't touch it for weeks. He's also really gotten into playing DS with friends; they "ds download" and play the games together - I'm more ok with this than solo play because at least he's interacting with real people.

It's really not an issue for us b/c my son seems to regulate it himself. He has days where hi might play Wii or his DS for a total of a few hours, then he seems to leave it alone for a few days (or even weeks!), so we've been kind of lucky. More often it's under an hour per day on the days he does play.
I do think gaming is the kind of thing where the more they do it, the more they want to & begin obsessing.
My son does well in school and plays sports and does other activities. The games he likes on Wii tend to be the more "active" ones so I don't worry about him becoming a couch potato.

Mine get 30 mins a day and they have to earn that with chores. More time if they are sick.

My kids earn tokens with chores, they can tun in 25 points worth of tokens to get 30 minutes of game time.
You also have to make sure he's not playing anything rated T or MA.