Soft addictions are any habitual, mindless conduct or mood. Very obvious ones are watching TV, eating too much, Internet surfing and video game playing. There are also numerous others existspreading rumors, daydreaming, working out, feeling sorry for oneself, shopping and the like. Nearly all parents are not alarmed by this type of conduct, assuming rightly that theyre "normal". These behaviors become abnormal and harm your children's growth as soon as they become routine, robbing kids of the time, energy and incentive to participate in more important activities.

Children require alone time to reflect and explore. They require the freedom to contemplate whats important in their lives and to master knowledge and develop talents that will allow them to accomplish their goals. Soft addictions are enemies of thought, discovery and skill development.

The spread of soft addictions has been thoroughly documented by the media. Report after report suggest that kids are spending more time than ever before sitting in front of computers, televisions and game screens.

Additional studies reveal a startling percentage of children who are overweight, softly addicted to unhealthy foods including fast food restaurants, obsessed with celebrity worship and dedicated to shopping for the perfect clothes is also rising. Parents can have perspective and need to be in charge of helping their kids overcome these mild addictions. All too often, they actually model behaviors that encourage kids to fall into soft routines instead. For example, a great majorit of parents return to their house from a day of work and spend the majority of their leisure hours slumped in front of the television, they eat too much and some work out compulsively, refusing to take a day off from their exercise no matter what else is happening in their lives. There are also parents who are examples of rumor-spreading behaviors, they spend many hours each week e-mailing and phoning friends about who is doing what.

Im not suggesting that parents or kids quit all their soft addictions at once. Most of us have some soft addictions. We can still live a full, meaningful existence if these habits are part of our life, nevertheless, they need to be a minor part. We help many parents who all say the same thing about their lives: "There must be more than this."

There is, but they will not uncover it until they redirect their time and energy to more conscious, meaningful endeavors. This doesnt mean they have to try and save the earth and work in soup kitchens feeding the hungry (even though these are great activities). Rediscovering the art of conversation, visiting friends, taking walks in the mountains, expressing their feelings to people they care about, listening to inspirational musicall these things can add purpose and meaning.

It will also give a healthy behavioral example for their kids. Consciously or not, kids are wonderful copycats, and softly-addicted parents often create softly-addicted kids. It is terribly hard for parents to tell kids to stop watching endless amounts of television when theyre guilty of the same sort of mindless, habitual behaviors. Parents will soon find, that when they begin to spend their time more meaningfully, not only will their lives be more satisfying but theyll help make more satisfying lives for their kids.

About the Author

Judith Wright is an internationally recognized author, speaker, educator, life coach, and seminar leader. She has taught workshops to help people overcome soft addictions and creating "More" for 12 years. You may contact her through her Web site at www.theremustbemore.com. See also Massive Personal Growth