Helping Children Form Healthy Video Game Habits

With all the talk today about video games and the children who play them, it makes you wonder if the media hype will ever settle down. There are some who feel video games contribute to child/teen suicides, homicides, poor grades, obesity and many other ugly or undesirable things. Most of these are just myths or misrepresentation of the actual facts.

Regardless of how you personally feel about games, they are becoming a common part of our future and every parent needs to take a knowledgeable approach toward their children and video games. There are "safe" and healthy ways to play and you can help your child learn these habits which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Here are some ways you can do this - even if you have no personal experience with video games yourself.

Regulating Time Played

Your job as parent is to help your child establish how much is "too much". Help your child set limits for himself. Talk to your child about what is a healthy amount of play time for him. This time can vary from child to child and family to family. Your child's age and maturity will also play a role in the allowable time played. Other commitments and obligations will also come into play in the decision.

If you have a child that tends to play for long consecutive hours every day, you may need to help enforce those limits. In addition to just saying, "You can only play for x number of hours per day", you should also find out why your child wants to play so much. Talk to your child about their game play. What many people incorrectly label as "addiction" is actual pure and simple boredom.

Kids get bored.

It's a fact of life. Children have been getting bored since the beginning of time. It's part of what drives them to always do more and learn more and grow as individuals. However, bored children with no way to release that boredom can lead to problems. When you tell your kid to get off the game, are you helping them find an alternative activity?

Encourage Experimentation with Different Games