My Love of Video Games

Ah, so happy with the title.  As I was talking about before in an earlier post, there is always this constant battle between children and their parents about playing video games.  I also stressed the fact that because of this unreachable agreement between me and my mother, we have not spoken to each other since i was 17.  Now I am 22, and looking back i can see now that if only she and I had given ground and actually sat down with each other and talked it over we would probably be happy and still on speaking terms. 
No I am not a counselor or a specialist by any means necessary.  I just love video games enough that i believe parents and children should be able to come together and talk about it.  Parents should sit down and listen to there kids ideas and their reasons why they enjoy playing video games.  Not just say OK we'll sit down I'll do this and then manipulate, suggest, coerce, or even just act like I listened but your still going to do it my way because I'm the parent and your just a little child.  That is not the way you as the parent I believe should act.  Yes your the parent and you must exert control and not let them walk all over you like trash.  But! There is no reason and I don't see why it would hurt you so much to actually hear other opinions from others than just yourselves.  Yes, I am talking about four years old and up.  Everything the kid has to say is important, you'd listen to them if they said some guy tried to get them to get in there car on there way home school wouldn't you?  Listen for once to what we the children have to say, please.  I understand that not every family has the same problem with there kids playing video games, its all on what they are interested in at the time.
Am I saying that you should allow them to play however long they want to and whenever?  No I am most definitely not.  You are the parent, take control but with restrictions.  Once again this is where the sitting down and speaking with the kid is all about set up specific times and allowances on when they can play.  Make a chart if you have to, in fact i think most parents should.  Place it where the child will see it everyday multiple times a day.  Explain why schooling comes 1st before games, and not just viedo games as well.  This can include sports and other such extacurricular activities.  Limit time on weekends and when friends come over but allow them to play with friends.  Use it as a reward if they do well on homework reward them with fifteen more minutes or so.  You as the parent just need to use your own discretion.  As I've said before I love video games a lot and looking back on my experience with playing and fighting with my parent I think some of this might help keep parents and children from separating and only bring them closer.