It’s convenient for most parents to ask their kids to play video games. Any kid with a device in their hands will sit and remain quiet. When you’re in public, or you’re too busy, it helps a lot if you can allow your kids to play with their device.
Although it helps you as a parent, it might not be beneficial for your kids. They could end up getting addicted to playing the games. The truth is that their brains aren’t ready yet to accommodate information coming from a smartphone. Some of them don’t even understand the game. They will keep pressing the buttons and fall in love with the visual effects.
Therefore, you need to be responsible for telling your kids to reduce their screen time. It doesn’t mean that you will completely stop them from playing. After all, there are educational video games for them. They might learn something new from these games. As long as you guide them while playing and limit their time, it’s okay.
Apart from educational games, you need to wait until they’re old enough. For kids in schools, video games could adversely affect their studies. For toddlers in their formative years, there could be developmental delays as a result of video game addiction.
Be strict with your rules
When you impose rules regarding the use of video games, you need to be tough. You can’ be lenient since your kids will easily violate them. If you tell them that they can only play up to a specified number of hours, you need to provide punishments for violations. It also helps if you take away their phones at night, so they won’t get tempted to wake up at night and continue playing when you’re asleep.
Explain to your kids the reasons behind your rules
It’s also crucial that your kids understand why you’re imposing these rules. For them, video games are fun, and there’s no reason for them to stop. You need to let them know the detriments of playing the game. They will find it hard to understand at first, but they will eventually get used to it. They will also realise it when they go to school, and they can’t cope because of their video game addiction.
Playtime is still necessary
Just because you take video games away from your kids doesn’t mean you don’t need to play anymore. It’s still crucial to bond with them by playing. You could consider Fun Learning toys that are suitable for their age, as there are toys that are actually useful since they help children learn new things. You could teach the alphabet, numbers, and even expand their vocabulary.
You need to be there for your child even when you’re busy with work. Drop everything that you are doing once your child begins to ask for playtime. As your child grows older, your bonding moments during playtime will remain with them. Your kids will be older in no time, and you will miss the moments you spent playing together.
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