St. Charles Mom Hopes to Pry Kids From Video Games

Many parents have watched it happen. Whether it’s xBox, PSP or something similar, video games can become a magnet for kids — young and old.

The trouble is, says Meg Lietz, the mother of a soon-to-be seventh-grader at Thompson Middle School, that kind of activity means there’s no face time, let alone physical activity. So she’s trying to put together something she hopes will pry the boys away from their games for a couple of hours each week for some face-to-face time with others.

In an email to St. Charles Patch, Lietz wrote that she started thinking about options, and one she suggested won her son’s blessing.

“… I am trying to create in the community that's sole purpose is to plan events for seventh-grade boys at Thompson, Wredling and Haines middle schools,” she wrote. “The purpose is to organize social events so that the boys will break away for a few hours from video games, TV, phones, etc., to socialize with each other in person.”

These days, she said, middle school-age boys are enthralled with video games. “If they aren't sitting at home playing video games with each through headsets, then they are standing in a group perhaps after school all staring at their phones texting or playing more games,” she wrote.

“Middle school boys are not known to coordinate activities themselves so I thought ‘Why not put together some local events and see who shows up?’ My son thought it sounded cool and I hope the word spreads fast.”

She’s calling her idea STC Social and asked St. Charles Patch to help spread the word. So here it is.

STC Social is using Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/329768493779698/) to spread the word.

“We plan to use local parks and St Charles businesses as locations for these events,” she said. “The are no fees or costs to be apart of this group. I am a stay-at-home mom with some free time and a strong desire to see my son learn a few interpersonal skills before he hits high school.”

The first activity STC Social has posted on its Facebook page is from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 7 at Pottawatomie Park, and kids, bring a flashlight!

The evening’s offerings will be Capture the Flag and Ghost in the Graveyard, two classics that offer thrills as well as fun. Parents volunteers will be on hand to supervise, but any parents who want to stay and watch are welcome as well, according to the Facebook posting.

“I encourage any parent who can't get their child to this event to reach out on this Facebook page to ask for ride so we can get as many people to participate,” the Facebook post states. “A lot of kids are sitting at home playing video games simply because they don't have a ride.”

I’m with Meg’s son. This sounds like a good time, and if I were about 40 years younger, I think I’d join in, too.

Follow St. Charles Patch by "liking" our Facebook page and following us on Twitter at @StCharlsILPatch.