It's important to be concerned with more than just the content of your child's video games.
Remember: Video games have a rating system, just like movies do, so you have some guidance in picking age-appropriate video game content for your kids…
But it’s not just the content of the games that you need to worry about….
There are other issues with video games that make your kids playing video games a concern. Things like…
- Where are they’re playing the video game?
- How long they’re playing them for?
- Is their playing affecting other activities like school?
So here’s what you can to do address these others, sometimes even more damaging areas of concern…
- Move the video game console to a common area (out of their bedroom)
- Play with them
- Know what they can and cant handle (playing with them will help you learn this)
- Set house rules about limits (how long they can play for, for example)
- Allow the child to share with you what they love about the game
Video games aren’t all bad.
There are some kids I know who play lots of violent video games and are really smart kids. What’s a bad idea for one kid to do, may not be a problem for another kid. You need to know your kids…
And it’s when your kids’ eyes are glued on the TV screen at age 4, not listening to you and ignoring you that you should start seriously asking yourself, “Is this the best thing for my child? Maybe I’ve got a problem here.”
Do you agree? Should parents monitor their kids’ video gaming experiences in a much stricter manner?
What Parents Need To Know About Video Games [Families]
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I definitely agree that parents need to take a more presiding role not only in their kids’ video game activity, but their activities as a whole. By being clammed up in the house in front of the tube for hours, kids are missing out on crucial communication and motor skills that can only be obtained through real-life activity, such as playing sports or simply hanging out with their peers. Get the mind and body workin’ and shut off the mind-dulling video games!