Family returns to board games
By Meagan Sextonmsexton@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Sunday, December 28, 2008
Rhonda Baker, middle right, laughs as her two sons, Jesse Baker, left, and Dayton Verbeski, right, compete in a game that involves balancing pieces of plastic. (Photo by Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY -- Rhonda Baker said she spoiled her children too much and decided to go back to the basics. Her idea: Play board games as a form of family time.
"I thought back to my childhood for ideas to remember what my brothers and I did and how we got along," said Baker, a 30-year-old single mother of five.
She said it was hard to get her children away from video game systems and the television and they didn't like her because of it.
"They threw temper tantrums and didn't like Mommy very much for awhile," Baker said. "It took a few times before they started enjoying it. They were really reluctant the first few times."
George Verbeski, 14, and her oldest son, said he was mad at first but eventually came around and realized how much fun board games could be and how much he could learn about himself.
"I started liking board games more than video games," Verbeski said. "You get to interact more and it teaches you. I learned balance from the game Topple and Trivial Pursuit has taught me stuff I didn't know, it's really cool."
Verbeski said he has also learned a lot about his siblings, 11-year-old Jeremiah and 10-year-old Dayton Verbeski and 10-year-old Jesse and 5-year-old Cerina Baker.
"My brother Jeremiah is really smart in electronics, my brother Jesse knows a lot about sports, my brother Dayton you can ask him anything about art and he'll probably know it and Cerina just likes to play," George said. "It helps get us to know each other's strengthens and weaknesses."
Baker said she enjoys spending time playing board games with her children and found it's relaxing.
"They (board games) get us together for family time and they challenge my kids' minds," she said. "They (the children) actually pay attention and listen to each other. It's very exciting and calming watching my children get along."
Tanya Petersen, a social worker with Siouxland Mental Health Center in Sioux City, said board games are a enjoyable and relatively inexpensive way for families to bond.
"I think because people have busy lifestyles, they don't take time out for family game night," Petersen said. "Playing board games help children learn and think logically. I also think children learn healthy competition as well as verbal communication and it helps focus their attention."
She said children are too attached to electronics and parents have a hard time getting them to do other things.
Jaimee Nutt, a licensed mental health counselor for Lutheran Family Services of Iowa, agrees with Petersen.
"There's so much of individual playing on the computer and (cell phone) texting," Nutt said. "Families have to fight for one hour of time together on a regular basis. I don't think we want to lose the importance of the family and parental guidance. If they're not around their parents they are going to get guidance elsewhere."
Nutt said playing board games or having family time is an opportunity for families to talk about what's going on with one another.
"It's a place where you can talk about everything that goes on with the family and I think were losing that and maybe we're beginning to see the results of that," she said.
Nutt said she has noticed a decrease in the amount of families playing board games with each other or taking time out of their schedules for family time.
"I have seen a decrease in this type of thing," Nutt said. "Not only in board games but activities where the family goes together. Most of the time each person is in a separate group of friends... We are very much TV oriented. It's a challenge for parents to try to have something like this happen because of activities everywhere else."
"I thought back to my childhood for ideas to remember what my brothers and I did and how we got along," said Baker, a 30-year-old single mother of five.
She said it was hard to get her children away from video game systems and the television and they didn't like her because of it.
"They threw temper tantrums and didn't like Mommy very much for awhile," Baker said. "It took a few times before they started enjoying it. They were really reluctant the first few times."
George Verbeski, 14, and her oldest son, said he was mad at first but eventually came around and realized how much fun board games could be and how much he could learn about himself.
"I started liking board games more than video games," Verbeski said. "You get to interact more and it teaches you. I learned balance from the game Topple and Trivial Pursuit has taught me stuff I didn't know, it's really cool."
Verbeski said he has also learned a lot about his siblings, 11-year-old Jeremiah and 10-year-old Dayton Verbeski and 10-year-old Jesse and 5-year-old Cerina Baker.
"My brother Jeremiah is really smart in electronics, my brother Jesse knows a lot about sports, my brother Dayton you can ask him anything about art and he'll probably know it and Cerina just likes to play," George said. "It helps get us to know each other's strengthens and weaknesses."
Baker said she enjoys spending time playing board games with her children and found it's relaxing.
"They (board games) get us together for family time and they challenge my kids' minds," she said. "They (the children) actually pay attention and listen to each other. It's very exciting and calming watching my children get along."
Tanya Petersen, a social worker with Siouxland Mental Health Center in Sioux City, said board games are a enjoyable and relatively inexpensive way for families to bond.
"I think because people have busy lifestyles, they don't take time out for family game night," Petersen said. "Playing board games help children learn and think logically. I also think children learn healthy competition as well as verbal communication and it helps focus their attention."
She said children are too attached to electronics and parents have a hard time getting them to do other things.
Jaimee Nutt, a licensed mental health counselor for Lutheran Family Services of Iowa, agrees with Petersen.
"There's so much of individual playing on the computer and (cell phone) texting," Nutt said. "Families have to fight for one hour of time together on a regular basis. I don't think we want to lose the importance of the family and parental guidance. If they're not around their parents they are going to get guidance elsewhere."
Nutt said playing board games or having family time is an opportunity for families to talk about what's going on with one another.
"It's a place where you can talk about everything that goes on with the family and I think were losing that and maybe we're beginning to see the results of that," she said.
Nutt said she has noticed a decrease in the amount of families playing board games with each other or taking time out of their schedules for family time.
"I have seen a decrease in this type of thing," Nutt said. "Not only in board games but activities where the family goes together. Most of the time each person is in a separate group of friends... We are very much TV oriented. It's a challenge for parents to try to have something like this happen because of activities everywhere else."
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Amy of the Lakes wrote on Jan 1, 2009 12:15 PM:
Debbie wrote on Dec 28, 2008 5:51 PM:
As parents of this era, we have so many babysitting tools of technology that we are not required to interact with our kids. However, as a parent, I love spending time with my kids.
So be that second person they need to play a game. Make them turn off the computer or the WII. Limit their time and teach them there is more to life then an electronic screen and remote.
Teach them to use their imagination! "
Jennifer wrote on Dec 28, 2008 4:31 PM:
CARLA wrote on Dec 28, 2008 1:05 PM:
Ginger wrote on Dec 28, 2008 11:45 AM: