Healthy Balance

My five-year old son is pretty into video games. By into, I mean he loves playing Mario Kart, Mario World, Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, Outdoor Adventures,etc. And he adores the card games on my cell phone, specifically Uno. I'm not sure why it's more exciting to play it on my phone than with the real cards (we have those too), but it is. He also love Euchre (although the concept is a little beyond him) and 100 Floors (a puzzle game to open 100 different elevator doors). When my husband is on the computer (he is a bit of a gaming fan too), my son will hover at his shoulder and watch as if in a trance. We have implemented a rule (or I have), that my husband is not allowed to play any games inappropriate for a child until after that child is in bed. I have had visions though, of a future where my son comes home from school only to start up a computer/video game and zone out in front of it until bedtime. A little dramatic, I know, but there are children who do this regularly. So to support his interest, but at the same time limit his technology time so he can explore other areas of life (such as playing outside, playing real card games, using his imagination, reading, etc), I put some rules into place for him. He is allowed to play video games, but only after he has earned them with a requisite amount of school work (what I call focusing activities). Now he is in Senior Kindergarten the homework is provided, but also included are things like printing practice, reading, puzzles, drawing, colouring, what have you. This allows him to choose what activity he prefers at the time and still have fun while doing something educational. And when he is finished (either 30 minutes of focusing, or a specific activity I have set to finish), he is allowed 30 minutes of game time. This can be used twice in one day, so I know his game time is no more than an hour each day, but I also know he is getting a healthy amount critical thinking time as well. There is nothing wrong with video games if they are age-appropriate, and I know they can be beneficial in teaching coordination and problem-solving, but I do not want him to become so enthralled by them that he has no other interests. A healthy balance is key to creating healthy habits and a well-rounded child. There have even been days when he has only used one of his video game times, or none, because he has been too busy with something else to even think about it. I am interested to know how other parents limit video game or electronic time, or if there are parents who believe that there shouldn't be limits on it. Please post and tell me your thoughts.....