GAIL WHITE The world opens up when the video games are closed

It's official. My husband and I are "the meanest parents in the world."
This distinction was bestowed upon us one day last week. Pat arrived home from work early on a beautiful, sunny fall day to find two of our children glued in front the television playing PlayStation.
They learned quickly that the proper response to "Turn it off!" is not "I just want to beat this level first."
The PlayStation was unhooked and "put away."
It's been "put away" before, but somehow, they knew this time was different. Dad had reached his last level.
The outcry was horrific. You would think we had just cut off their thumbs -- which would be a shame since that is the most physically fit part of their bodies.
Reaction
Our oldest son handled the news about the removal of the system the best. At 14, he is fairly busy with other interests. In defense of the weekend nights he likes to stay up late playing, he insisted, "I have to use my brain more playing those games than I do at school."
My husband and I looked at each other in amazement. We had no idea "007" required more brain power than algebra. We figure now that he won't be spending his weekends calculating the venue of bad guys, he will have lots of brain power to calculate a2 x b2, which should equal all "A's."
We found our youngest son's reaction to the game system's being put away almost comical. "This is the worst day," he moped with a fake cry in his voice. For Pat and I, we figured a fake cry was better than the real tears he has cried waiting for his turn to play.
The two who had been caught playing PlayStation on a sunny day were near devastation. Their faces had the strangest expression; a mixture between a scowl and complete, utter disbelief. Their mouths hung half-open for an entire day. They didn't really say anything initially, but they looked like they wanted to say something. In their devastation, they just couldn't find the words. Their thumbs twitched, uncontrollably.
Going outdoors
"Go outside and play!" became our parental mantra.
That first day they had been ordered outdoors, we found our 10- year-old standing in the driveway, peering in through the window at the television and the empty spot where the PlayStation once sat. Tears were streaming down his face.
My husband saw him first. To his credit, he turned and walked away. With fire in his eyes, he told me what the child was doing.
"He needs a chore," I responded. He spent the next hour cleaning the bathroom and his bedroom. He hasn't cried over the PlayStation since.
The second day, the boys found their voice.
"This is so dumb! ... We don't play it that much! ... Everybody else plays a lot more than we do! ..." That's the day we were dubbed "the meanest parents in the world."
We told them to go tell the world -- while playing outside.
Their day consisted of a football game, with Dad as the quarterback. They invented some "survivor" game, involving climbing trees. After dark, a heated contest of Capture the Flag.
The change is complete
By the third evening, I had to tell them to come in to get ready for bed.
I HAD TO TELL THEM TO COME IN TO GET READY FOR BED!
That's when I knew they were right. We are the meanest parents in the world.
It is downright cruel and unusual punishment to have let them play those silly video games in the first place! They have missed countless evenings making leaf piles, playing "hide from the cars" and creating forts.
I wonder how many times I could have whipped them in "Sorry" if they hadn't been playing video games?
Being "the meanest" is a little more time consuming than being nice -- and a lot louder.
When they are not sitting in a vegetative state in front of a video screen, they tend to make a ruckus. They also tend to want you to play with them.
More time together with our loud, lively kids ...
We may very well end up being "the meanest parents in the universe."
I think the PlayStation shelf will remain empty.
gwhite@vindy.com