7 reasons why your kids SHOULD play video gamesConventional wisdom suggests that time spent playing video games is time wasted. The common perception is that few video games exercise the brain and, if there is any physical activity involved, it's usually the occasional wave of a controller rather than anything that will work up a sweat. And shouldn't kids be outside playing, rather than sitting in front of yet another screen?

Not so fast, say many parenting experts and researchers. Studies have consistently shown that the benefits of video gaming can far outweigh the perceived negatives. Although video gaming should certainly be supervised, there are good reasons why you should let your kids spend a few hours a week building cities or battling aliens. Here's why:

1. Video games teach problem solving
Video games get kids to think. There are dozens of video games that are specifically geared towards learning, but even the most basic shooter game teaches kids to think logically and quickly process large amounts of data. Rather than

As a former teacher, and the parent of three kids, I've had lots of experience cleaning up messy spills. It's not always as easy as it looks, and, done incorrectly, it's possible to turn a spill into an even bigger mess by using the wrong tools or technique.

Never fear. With a little bit of know-how, clean up's a snap. Here's how to handle some of the most common kid-related spills.

Milk and Ice Cream: If you don't clean dairy spills right away, you may end up smelling sour milk in your car or living room for days (and anyone with kids can tell you how much fun that isn't). Keep a supply of clean, disposable rags or paper towels handy, just in case.

Soak up any liquid by blotting gently and, by all means, do not rub it into your upholstery or rugs. Don't pour water on the spill, even if you're tempted, or you'll end up with a bigger mess and water stains. Avoid the use of hot water or a steam cleaner; instead, use a wet-vac to get up the remainder of the spill, and allow it

How much do parents influence their kids' taste?Over on the excellent food blog Stay at Stove Dad, John Donohue wonders about the ramifications of exposing his daughter to things like Gruyere cheese, or teaching her the difference between cuts of meats. He mentions a friend who's a music snob who's worried about his influence on his kid's listening habits.

Being that I'm a bit of both a food and a music snob, I can relate. It used to crack people up when Felix would say that the Spanish goat cheese Manchego was his favorite, and that he'd prefer hip-hop to kid music. Say "lodi dodi" to him, and he'll bust back with "who likes to party?" He's a regular lil' Slick Rick.

Related: Why having a "second personality" makes me a better parent

Living in an affluent section of Brooklyn, having strong opinions on food and music does not put him off the norm. It's not until we visit my parents, who live in the 'burbs, that I notice how different my son is from other kids. He doesn't watch commercial television. He doesn't often eat

Don't overdo it!We all know how important it is for women and mothers to get regular exercise. And while trying to keep a kid with a cup full of cranberry juice off your new Berber carpet SHOULD qualify as an Olympic sport, running is a real, heart-healthy way to get in shape.

I am always happy to write about my friend Summer Sanders, and she has some particularly useful advice when it comes to running and preparing for races. Summer is blogging over at espnW about her 12 week preparation for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. In her latest post, she talks about the challenges of the mental game, but how it's important to listen to your body too, especially when it's telling you that things don't feel right. Here are a few ways we can get over injuries specific to our sport.

1. REST: It seems only logical, but there are a lot of people who will still try to get in a run even if they think they have pulled something or are in pain. The body at minimum needs time to recover. If time doesn't