We are raising a generation of little addicts, and most parents dont realize the scope of the problem or how theyre contributing to it. Im not suggesting that most of our children are becoming drug addicts or alcoholics. Instead, theyre falling into "soft addiction" routines that rob them of the time and energy to pursue more meaningful activities.

Soft addictions involve any chronic, mindless behavior or mood. Very apparent soft addictions are watching TV, eating too much, Internet surfing and playing video or computer games. There are also many other possibilities existtalking bad about others, fantasizing, exercising, pitying oneself, going on shopping sprees and so on. Nearly all parents arent startled by this type of conduct, believing rightly that they are "normal". They become abnormal and detract from a childs development, however, once they settle into routines, depriving children of the time, energy and initiative to participate in more meaningful activities.

Children require alone time to think and investigate. They need space to contemplate whats important in life and to gain knowledge and develop skills that will help them to accomplish their goals. Soft addictions are foes of thought, exploration and skill development.

The media has documented the epidemic spread of soft addictions. Many of these reports show that children spend more time than they have before sitting in front of computers, televisions and video game screens.

Similar studies reveal a startling percentage of children who are overweight, softly devoted to junk food and fast food restaurants, obsessed with celebrity worship and dedicated to shopping is also rising. Parents need to take responsibility for helping their children manage these soft addictions. All too often, they model the very behaviors that encourage children to fall into soft addictions instead. For example, many parents come to their house from a day of work and spend the majority of post-dinner hours watching TV, they overeat and some exercise compulsively, not willing to take a day off from their exercise even when they are desperately needed elsewhere. Other parents are examples of gossiping behaviors, they spend many hours each day writing and/or calling friends about who is fooling around with whom.

Im definitely not saying that parents or children quit all their soft addictions at once. As human beings, most of us have a few addictions. Living a meaningful life is possible when these activities are in our life, nevertheless, they need to be a minor rather than a major part. We help many parentsprofessionally successful people who are also parents who say the same thing about their lives: "There must be more than this."

There is, but they will not uncover it until they use their time and energy on more conscious, fulfilling activities. This does not mean they have knit sweaters for homeless children in Siberia and work in soup kitchens feeding the hungry (though these arent bad ideas). Reviving the fine art of conversation, visiting friends, going for walks in the woods, expressing their feelings to people they care about, listening to inspirational musicall this can add meaning.

Just as important, it can provide a healthy behavioral example for their children. Consciously or not, kids are great copycats, and softly-addicted parents tend to produce softly-addicted kids. It is very hard for parents to get children to quit watching so much TV when they are guilty of the same kind of mindless, habitual behaviors. Parents will find, that when they begin to use their time in more meaningful ways, not only will their lives be more satisfying but theyll help create more satisfying lives for their children.