With the video games industry updating their inventory every few months, it is difficult to keep kids away from them. Addiction to video games, however, is not only bad for the brain and physical development but can generate violence and negative feelings among kids. Moreover, playing indoors all the time is also not recommended during the growth stages of the child. The kids should engage in outside activities rather than sitting on the couch and playing games on TV or smart phones. Some tips mentioned below can help you limit the gaming access of your child:
Scheduling the time to play video games
Understanding how much is enough for the child is essential. Prepare a chart listing the time and period for the child to play video game. Make the child follow it strictly. Engage the child into other activities, giving them less time for playing video games. Keeping a track if the kid is following it or not is essential.
Limit their time
Discuss the problems of gaming addiction with your child. Some consoles give an option of parental control. You can use the same to limit the usage of the video games by the kids. Moreover, organize the child’s day in such a way that either he doesn’t get time or less time to play or is tired after a hectic schedule. This will surely move the attention of the child away from video games.
Follow rules strictly
It is important that the child follow the rules set by you strictly. If not, find ways to make them follow it. Restrict the access to the game. If they still are able to access by opening the lock feature then you can go a step ahead by hiding the controllers. Hiding important parts of the game console can do the trick. Understanding the kid’s psychology is important. Getting them away from it in a play mode is essential.
Many a times, it is advisable to destroy the consoles completely if the kids are uncontrollable. This, however, is recommended in extreme conditions when you know it will affect the health and physical development of the child. Addiction to gaming isn’t good for the kid. Hence, some extreme steps without hurting the kid physically or emotionally can be taken.
Summary:
It is important to keep the kids away from gaming consoles. Do it as per the gravity of your kids’ habit and addiction.
