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

Anyone who plays video games of any type knows how easy it is to get hooked on a favorite game. You may just really love the game and want to play it all the time, or maybe you are caught up in trying to reach the maximum level, maximum score or some other feat in the game. It is a good sign of determination when your child wants to continue playing a game until he "beats it" or until he reaches the maximum level.

Sometimes parents who don't play have a hard time understanding why their children would want to do the same thing for such a long period of time. Well, your children are probably wondering what you find so exciting about golf or why you watch those "daytime dramas" religiously. Try to understand that it is normal for your child to want to repeat an activity that they find enjoyable. (Remember when they were toddlers and wanted to watch the same video over and over and over...)

However, you also need to know that it's important for any video gamer to mix it up once in awhile. You should always encourage your child to experiment with different games. If you don't want to buy different games (which can be quite expensive), consider renting from a local video rental store. Encourage your child to play different genres of games - not only different titles.

If your child loves first-person shooters or racing games, encourage him to try an RPG (role-playing game) or a strategy/puzzle style game. If your child is into action games, encourage them to try out a few simulation games. Even if they don't get "into" the new game type, it's a healthy break to try something new. Challenge their mind and their playing skills by encouraging them to play different games.

Help Your Child Get Exercise

It's hard to tell your kid to get off the video game and go play like a "normal" child when you are sitting there at your computer where you've been almost straight for the past six hours. Sometimes children need a little motivation from their parents to help them get moving, particular children that tend to naturally have sedentary lifestyles.

Depending on the age of your child, you may need to get creative in the ways you help them get exercise. Talk to your child about what he or she likes to do. Some kids that play video games are also highly athletic children and many even love playing video games about the sports that they love to play. Other young people play video games because they are not as good at physical activities as other kids. Forcing your child to get off the only thing they feel they excel at and do something which they perform poorly at is very bad for their self-esteem. Don't force your child to join a sports' team or other physical activity if he doesn't want to.

Instead, think of other ways your child can get physical exercise. If this is a difficult thing for your child, be sensitive and try to encourage- not nag. Combine this exercise encouragement with healthy meals, snacks and drinks to keep your child as healthy as possible. Remember, video games don't make children fat; poor dietary habits and lack of exercise makes children fat.

Make Use of the Parental Ratings

Parental ratings are placed on games for a very good reason. Parents need to learn to make better use of them. Many parents mistakenly think that all games are for children so they ignore video game ratings. In fact, studies show that over 60% of gamers are over the age of 18 so most games actually cater to adult gamers. It's important for parents to understand and acknowledge the rating system.

Video game ratings work very similar to the way movie ratings do. On the back of the box, you will see a rating as well as a short description of why the game is rated that way. Remember that the age limit on the box is just recommended and your child's age, maturity and other factors will need to be taken into consideration. Ultimately, you are the one with the final say over what your child gets to play (at least while they are at home) but it tends to go much more smoothly if you take time to discuss with your child why you are putting certain limits in place.

You also need to be prepared to hear stories from your child about how so-and-so gets to play the game you've disallowed him to play, "I've played it as his house", "It's not that bad, Mom, really" and "But all the other kids are playing it!" Once you have made a decision with your child about what the rating limit will be, stick with it. Be firm about your decision, regardless of what other parents are allowing. Never think well, if Billy's parents let him play, it must be ok.

If there is ever any doubt, check it out yourself. Not only can you rent games from the video store, most game stores also have consoles set up so you can "trial play" popular titles. You can check the game out yourself and ask adult employees of the store if they think the game is appropriate for young people. If a game has a higher rating, find out why.

Is it for violence or violent themes?

Is it for nudity or sexual themes?

Is it for drug use, alcohol use and other illegal activities?

Is it for fantasy themes?There are many different reasons why a game may receive a certain rating. If your child is adamant about a particular game with a higher rating, take the time to look into why it has that rating. If you disallow your child to play a particular game, always sit down and talk about why.

Communication

That brings us back again to communication. I cannot stress enough the importance of talking with your child (that's with, not at!). Communication is really the key to helping your child form healthy video game habits. Talk to your child about the games they are playing. Allow them to tell you about their successes and adventures and listen and pay attention. Maybe you find video games boring and don't understand "why he plays those silly things" but if you care about your child, you should care about what he is involved in. Just taking some time to become involved in his world can make all the difference.

Video games are the way of the future. They are not just for entertainment anymore. They are also used in simulation training exercises; to train doctors, military personnel, pilots and more; as a part of pain therapy and so much more. Science and technology are finding new, profound ways to use video game technologies every day. Allowing your child to play now, safely and in a healthy manner, can actually help them in the future. It will also help them form healthy video game habits that will last into adulthood when you are no longer there to "nag" them and regulate their game play.