Q: Our teenage son is extremely intelligent. The problem is he only wants to play video games all day and night when he’s home. It’s a struggle to get him to do any physical activities or even just read a book. How can I encourage him to do other things without completely taking his video games away?

Jim: You’re not alone. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that kids aged 8 to 18 now spend more than seven and a half hours every day using electronic gadgets, including game consoles!

It’s time to go beyond “encouraging him to do other things” and actually set some limits. Sit down with him and explain your concerns in clear language. Tell him you feel things have gotten out of hand and that you’re going to start limiting the amount of time he spends gaming.