It’s early Sunday morning and the sun just came up. You barely have your eyes open and your child comes running up to you shouting “Dad, I hit a homerun.” A few minutes later he does it again. Aren’t you proud? Is this one of those priceless moments you’ve seen on the television ads?

Well, don’t call the grandparents to brag just yet. Your child is still in their pajamas and your coffee isn’t ready yet. The only homerun trot they made was to the bathroom. Sound familiar?

That present Santa dropped down the chimney a couple months ago is so real to them. They cheer over the victories, and quickly restart the games after a defeat. That electronic babysitter that jumped off the toy shelf into your cart in the store, has now began to control your child’s emotions and habits. It sure works well when parents want to sleep in a little longer in the morning, but now it’s taking the place of physical activity. Although Nintendo’s Wii does burn a few calories as you swing that make-believe tennis racket, or punch the daylights out of that digitized opponent.

I will confess, I let my 14-year-old son play way too much on his PlayStation. As long as he completes his homework, keeps up the great grades, and stays active in his sports, I don’t mind. It’s his time to relax. After all, his baseball coach plays the games too.

So, how long do you let your child play video games? Are they involved in real sports as well? What sports video games are popular these days? Will the next Wheaties box have a picture of an armchair athlete?

Tags: armchair, homerun, Nintendo Wii, Playstation, sports, video games