How To Encourage Healthy Gaming Online For Your Kids
While it’s something that not every parent is enthused about, to begin with, gaming online can be incredibly helpful and healthy to have as a modern, digital-led kid. There’s no doubt that a lot of life and society nowadays is driven by technology and your kids are going to be exposed to that technology from a young age.
How you protect and control that technology around your kids is really up to you but exposing them to it with care can be a great way to nurture a healthy relationship with it.
If you’re looking to encourage healthy gaming online for your kids without it turning into something more harmful, here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Limit certain sites
While there are lots of sites out there to choose from, with many being widely popular for gaming of all genres, there will be some sites that you might want to limit, particularly for the younger kids.
Some sites though while they might be appropriate for adult gamers, might not be for those who are younger. The site itself might feature some age-restricted games and there are the odd sites that might feature inappropriate materials for little one’s eyes.
Limiting certain sites can be done easily by blocking them through your internet provider. You can always release these at a later date but it can provide peace of mind that your children won’t accidentally find themselves on these websites.
Encourage them to play a variety of game genres
When it comes to gaming, they should be taking advantage of a variety of game genres. There are plenty of genres out there which is why you should be encouraging them to try something different from what they would usually play.
For example, if they love simulation games, they might want to try something a little more challenging when it comes to tactics and logic, like solitaire for example. These types of brain power games are great for the children’s development and will offer more than just entertainment.
Of course, every child is different and each one will have their own preference when it comes to game genres. However, encouraging them to try something new is a good way to show a willingness to change and adapt, even if they’re hesitant to do so at first.
Set time limits
Setting time limits is a healthy way of making sure your kids are playing for a good amount of time that feels like a lot to them but not so much that it’s going to become an unhealthy obsession.
If your child is getting frustrated at being told to come off the games, then they’re likely to need a little more time to finish off what they’re doing. Identify when they’ve had enough and getting annoyed at the game versus when they just need five more minutes to complete the level.
Either way, setting time limits is good to ensure that it doesn’t become too lengthy in their gameplay.
Keep open communication and educate on online safety
Open communication is paramount when it comes to your kids and their interactions with gaming online. You need to be able to discuss with them any concerns you might have about their gaming and stress the importance of telling you when something has upset them or concerned them.
It’s also crucial that you’re educating your children on online safety. While the internet might seem like an exciting world to them, especially at a young age, you want to remind them of the dangers that lurk there. There’s a nasty underbelly of the internet worth alluding to.
Play together
Playing together is a great way to both enjoy gaming and share something together that you can do on a regular basis. It also keeps it interesting and it means you can observe them while playing to ensure everything is safe with their gameplay.
Set parental controls if needed
Finally, you should look at setting parental controls, particularly for those of a young age. This is helpful because it reduces the chance of them falling onto the wrong site and doing things online that you wouldn’t approve of or find appropriate.
Setting parental controls is easy enough and can be done so through your internet provider and account online.
Healthy gaming is important to encourage, especially for your kids as they navigate a digitally dominant world. With the right guidance and freedom, your kids can enjoy the educational and entertainment benefits that online gaming brings.
Kori
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