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Most parents view video games as the arch enemy and blame them for being the root cause of their children’s lethargic lifestyle. To make it worse, mobile games have made it even more challenging to supervise their screen time and timetables. It’s true playing video games can lead to cognitive problems like childhood obesity and optical problems if not played responsibly, but try and take their gaming system away from them! There is always going to be a war. However, if your child takes a keen interest in gaming, you don’t have to deprive them of their hobby completely. On the contrary, setting definite ground rules helps to check their game timings and gives them a window to expand their gaming skills. Here are some ways to help your child play video games responsibly and without harming their health. Read on to know them all.
1. Set Clear Boundaries
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Parenting means running a tight ship, which means you must be confident at saying no. Talk to your child and let them know what is expected of them, and also give them a chance to express what they expect from you. There should be no gray areas when it comes to parenting. Let your kids know the specific timings they are allowed to play, the amount of screen time they are allowed to have, and the precautions that need to be taken by them. Also, you must ensure that the game they are playing is age appropriate. You can ask them about the game and do thorough research before giving them a green signal that they can play with it.
2. Walk Them Through The Consequences
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Kids love breaking the rules; sometimes, just to see your reaction. This is when you need to be very clear with the consequences of their actions. Once you have set the limits, the punishments need to be defined too. Ensure the penalties are consistent, and you don’t bend it for them at any point. It is tempting to play the good cop with your child, but they have a road map to all your weaknesses, so don’t even bother! If they have exhausted their videogame time, no amount of please and puppy dog eyes should move you to give them the extra time. Simply tell them it is non-negotiable, and they can look forward to playing the next day at the designated time.
3. Set A Timer For Them To Play The Game
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You can set a buzzer or an alarm on your phone to let them know they have 10 minutes left to play so they can wrap up the game or make the necessary preparations. The biggest problem with video games is that parents don’t take much interest in the game, and the kids believe that parents won’t understand. Indeed, you don’t have to spend time reading the manual or playing it yourself if it doesn’t interest you, but if it is essential to your child, let them enjoy it, but in a specific time frame of the day.
4. Make Video Game Time A Treat
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Giving treats is an excellent way of rewarding your child, but it doesn’t have to be an unhealthy sugary treat always. For example, you can reward them for something good they did with extra video game time. So you can assign 30 minutes of their day for a videogame, and if they do their regular chores like eating healthy on time, doing laundry, and keeping the room clean, they get an extra 30 minutes of game time. This way, it will be a win-win situation for both of you.
5. Place The Gaming System In The Common Room
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If you are finding it difficult to control your child’s screen time, it’s time to take things to the common room where everything happens under your nose. Of course, when your child gets older, they will second that the gaming system be placed in their room so they can play at their leisure, but that is something you have to say a strict no to. Putting the system in your child’s room will make it very difficult for you to regulate the game timings, so you should get it placed where you can supervise the timings and what they are indulging in.
All said and done, kids will be kids, and no matter how hard you try to control them, they will find a way to outsmart you. But it doesn’t have to be a war between you and the kids. The trick is to let them have their way so they can see why you say no to things. Teach by example so your kids can relate to the gravity of the situation, not just you lecturing them about screen time. Also, if you feel your kids are really good at gaming and want to take it up as a profession, you can help them meet professional streamers or read about them to know about their lifestyle and comprehend if they will take it up as their future endeavor. So, which of these tricks do you think is most effective in limiting video game time for kids? Let us know in the comments section!
