My son Truman starts T-ball and soccer this week. I asked my husband if this meant I was now an official Soccer Mom. He said no. Perhaps I fit more the role of the Soccer Moms of the 1990s than those of of the 2000s. But in the 1990s, being a mother, especially one who totes her child to various sports and activities, was the farthest thing from my mind.
These days, though, I’m more apt to be associated with another demographic, iPhone Moms. That’s right. A study done by Greystripe, a mobile ad network, has identified iPhone Moms as a …read more

…Than Sitting and Watching TV. Really!
Add one to the Duh Study File:
According to researchers in Oklahoma, children burn triple the number of calories if they’re playing a video game that requires moving about – such as some of the Nintendo Wii system games, than they do while sitting still and watching television.
These findings were published in the August issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.
While playing the games aren’t the same as getting outside and getting some good activity going, such as bike riding or playing tag, they may have their place in situations where children may not be able to …read more

Video games have reached far beyond mere entertainment, particularly with the new interactive video systems, like Nintendo’s Wii system. The Wii has gotten people up and moving – people from all walks of life, including seniors in some nursing homes. And now, the Wii system may just increase the number of people who know  how to do CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
According to this article, CPR to be taught via Nintendo Wii game , students at the University of Alabama are working with the American Heart Association to come up with a program that can teach the proper way to …read more

Who thought the doctor might prescribe a video game to help with a disease?
Dr. Ben Herz, a Medical College of Georgia (MCG) researcher, says that the Nintendo Wii could help treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Herz says that since the Wii requires visual perception, eye-hand coordination, figure-ground relationships and sequenced movement, it’s a big treatment tool for occupational therapy.

The pilot Wii study involved 20 Parkinson’s patients spending an hour playing the Wii three times a week for four weeks. Preliminary study findings were presently recently, and participants showed “significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels.” Also, …read more

Video games are all the rage these days. All of my kids have at least one (or five or six) video game on their holiday wish list. Over the years we’ve acquired a PS2, an Xbox and Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii (with the Wii being my personal favorite). That’s a lot of gaming systems (especially considering we don’t let the kids play video games on school nights). And video games make great stocking stuffers. They are just the right size to slide in to the stocking.
We recently had the opportunity to try out a few new games you …read more