When you let your child play video games, they are so absorbed in these games that it’s hard to get them to leave the computer. It can become a nightmare once you notice that video gaming is taking over your household, and especially your child’s life.
There are many ways to detox your child from video games. Best of all, it is an achievable goal that can lead to having a positive outcome. Continue reading to find out how you can help your child diverge from playing video games.
Limit Time Playing
It is common to want to take away all access to video gaming at once. Even though it is possible, it is often time-consuming and unproductive.
Moderation is key when it comes to video gaming. There are games that are violent, and others are educational. It is important to know the distinction between both to know how long you should allow them to play.
If playing video games becomes a compulsive habit, it can affect the child greatly. In this instance, it is something that can become frustrating to any parent.
Some of the effects of not limiting the child’s playtime are:
- The Child Will Not Be Able To Sleep: The child’s brain has not had a break from gaming, so it is difficult to get them to settle down. The game’s excitement can alter the way the child functions when they are not playing, making it hard for them to get some rest.
- The Child Can Sneak Around To Play: It is possible that the child might want to continue playing even if you told him not to. The reason this happens is that interactive playing can translate into competitive playing.
- The Child Can Become Irritable: When you have been playing all day, the child might become frustrated. You might notice a gradual change in their behavior or mood and a decrease in other interests. There are possibilities that tantrums might surge as a result of overstimulation and lack of sleep.
- The Child Will Lack Appetite: It’s common for a child to forget to eat as they focus on their games. Without the proper nutrition, it will be difficult to function. Lack of nutrition can also affect the development of the child.
- Can Affect the Relationship with the Parents: Not adhering to the parent’s requests or household chores due to time in a game can result in various forms of punishment, resulting in aggressive behavior.
If your idea is to cut your child off from playing video games, there are other alternatives that you can try. Completely taking away video games is not realistic and could create tension in the household.
It is unnecessary to take away complete access to video gaming, but instead, you can limit the time they play. Effective ways of limiting the time that a child plays on their computer are as follows:
Agree On A Reasonable Length Of Play Time
Playing video games can be time-consuming for your child. Most of the time, they don’t even realize that they have been playing for hours. It can turn into a bad habit, and it will get harder to get them to do other things if this is not corrected.
It can be helpful to lay out the new plan for playing. Agree on what a reasonable length of playtime would be.
- Compromise: There are times where you will have to compromise because what works for you might not work for your child.
- Follow Through: Make sure that you follow through with the plan because it can send mixed messages if the plan is altered in any way.
Use Other Tools To Assist You
It is important to facilitate the way you monitor your child’s gaming habits. It could become difficult to manage how long your child plays, but it doesn’t have to be this hard.
There are tools available that can help assist with this problem, which can do some of the work for you.
A helpful way to limit playing time is by using the Limit Launcher App. This app helps the parent keep track of the child’s playing time. Upon reaching the time limit, the app will automatically close the game. A child will then know that they should no longer play.
There is no need to take the device away because the app will serve as a reminder to the child as to how long they can play. You will also be able to monitor their entire playtimes by just logging into the app without having to remind the child to get off of the game continuously. Instead of keeping a log, you will be able to have it available on your app whenever you need it.
The Limit Launcher App can also be used to block some of the more popular games. Some of the many games that you can stop with the app are:
- Battle.net
- Bethesda
- Epic Games
- Origin
- Steam
Some homes have multiple devices that make it easy for your child to play anytime. With the Limit Launcher App, you can choose the subscription that best works for you. You can choose a subscription according to how many devices you own.
If you are not sure which subscription works best for you, you can test out the app by starting the free trial.
Timing your child’s playing time through the app can be beneficial because it is a constant reminder that they only have a certain amount of time to play. It will facilitate things for both the parent and the child long-term.
Create a Schedule
Incorporating a schedule that limits the amount of playing can be useful to promote healthy habits.
It is in the child’s best interest to gain control of their excessive video gaming habits. It can become frustrating watching your child play for hours without even leaving their computer.
Scheduling daily activities can be challenging if the child is not used to having structure. If consistently enforced, this is not an impossible task.
When a child is playing video games, it can be easy to lose track of time. Therefore, it is important to regularly balance daily activities with gaming by creating a schedule that clearly outlines the defined times.
There are many alternative solutions to this problem, so there is no need to stress over this.
Schedules are a great guide to having structure. There are many ways of creating an effective schedule for the household by using other tools to assist you.
If you incorporate the Limit Launcher App in your schedule, it can be can beneficial for the following reasons:
- It can reduce confrontation.
- Enabling and disabling the app will depend on the schedule created.
- Playing will only depend on the time scheduled.
Along with the Limit Launcher App, schedules help you make changes in your regime. Adding the Limit Launcher App’s functions into a schedule can give clarity of what is expected.
Have Open Communication
Before you begin making a schedule, you can talk to your child to know what they think. Make them feel like they are part of the decision. Sometimes it will surprise you that allowing them to have a say will easily facilitate the process.
The involvement of children in decision-making creates a sense of responsibility and independence in them. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of gaming time restrictions together. It is important to be clear when providing the guidelines, so there will not be any room for mistakes.
Having a conversation with your child can lead to possible compromises:
- Additional Playing time can be done together, which will give the child more time to play.
- Allow the Limit Launcher App to track gaming to ensure that the schedule is being followed.
- Compromise on what a reasonable amount of playing time is.
- Find out which are his preferred games to help you choose which games will be allowed to play.
These compromises can help your child understand why these decisions are being made. It’s important to convey the feeling that it’s a mutual decision.
Create Responsibilities
Allow your child to tell you what other responsibilities they would like to have before making a schedule. It can help if you sit down and write down together a list of what the expectations should be.
Find other things your child likes to do so you can create responsibilities for them. An open discussion can facilitate this task.
Give kids autonomy to choose and have a say in creating their schedule, so they feel more invested in following the schedule.
Teaching Organizational Skills
After creating a schedule, your child can plan their own activities and times. This will teach how to incorporate playing on the computer with other fun activities.
Discover what level of organization he has since some kids are more organized than others.
It is essential to follow the schedule created to begin learning consistency. Teaching your child good organizational skills can include:
- Creating a schedule ahead of time
- Allowing them to execute the schedule on their own
- Assisting them when needed
The Limit Launcher App can also help establish a routine, allowing children to learn to engage in other activities.
Executing The plan
Establish a start date and display a schedule in a common area, so that everyone knows what they need to do. Sometimes visualizing the plan will help the child have a positive attitude towards following the schedule.
Both the parent and the child will have to be organized to ensure that the schedule is carried out according to the agreed-upon plan. The best way to begin is by logging into the Limit Launcher App and assigning the times that the child will be allowed to play. The app will then do the rest of the work for you.
It will be challenging at first, but consistency can shorten the time that your child plays video games.
Combine Gaming With Other Activities
Due to the advancements in technology, kids prefer to do everything through their devices. It is common to see a child either on their phone or the computer all day. Due to this, it is easy to lose track of time while playing video games. It is also easy to forget that you already let your child play and can’t remember when they had to get out of the game.
If parents strategically select a combination of activities based on their own schedule needs, it can take some stress away. Some examples consist of:
- There is a zoom meeting that you must attend, and you schedule playing video games at that time. This will give you the time you need and allow your child to do something they enjoy.
- Schedule computer time once chores have been completed. Have your child clear the table or take out the trash before allowing them to play video games.
- Have quality time with your child. Choose a fun activity to play with them.
If gaming is all your child does, combining gaming with other activities can help balance this lifestyle. Those who play excessively learn that there is only one way to entertain themselves.
Playing video games is one way to positively stimulate the brain, depending on the game they play. The same thing can happen when you combine gaming with other activities. It can help the child realize that there is another life outside of gaming.
Gamers can combine activities with gaming, such as:
- Enjoying outdoor activities
- Playing instruments
- Playing sports
- Reading
- Spending time with family
Since children have short attention spans, it is important to keep them busy to avoid boredom.
Understanding The Consequences
Video gaming is a popular form of entertainment that can have consequences when played for too long. Due to the current situation, Covid-19 has altered many children’s lifestyles. Although gaming is a popular vice for kids, now gaming is often used to make quarantining more bearable.
There are aspects of gaming that can be consequential if gaming is abused in the following ways:
- It can cause social skills changes: Video games impact children’s social skills by limiting opportunities to have face to face interactions. Any child needs to appropriately read social cues or facial expressions to act according to the situation at hand. This can also affect them in school, as the adverse effects of underdeveloped social skills can deter their relationships with others.
- It can cause health problems: It is important to learn to cope with real-life situations by expanding the child’s interests in other activities. It can help facilitate frustration tolerance by allowing the child to learn how to self-regulate.
- It can cause physical health problems: Video Gamingcreates a sedentary lifestyle for the child. When you are playing video games, you can develop poor eating habits because it is easier and quicker to make microwavable treats as opposed to a healthy meal. It also hinders the body’s ability to develop properly due to the minimized physical activity.
Typically, a child knows what they have to do, but sometimes they have to be reminded to ensure that they are following good routines.
It is normal for kids to not always make the best decisions for themselves. Therefore, parents will normally explain things to help them understand the reasoning behind their decisions.
It can be difficult for a child to understand that gaming is time-consuming and can prevent them from participating in other activities. The parent must provide reasoning to this situation to help them see the difference between playing video games all day instead of playing and doing something else for a few hours.
Explain to kids the logic behind things and help them make decisions that are good for them. Reasonable expectations might not always be the same for them as they are for you.
It could be easier to use the Limit Launcher App to get the child to understand that playing is allowed but that the game will turn off according to the scheduled time. There will be no gaps for errors because the App will provide accuracy. The child must understand that they have to follow the agreed schedule regardless of what they want to do at that moment.
Final Thoughts
Most children find playing video games fascinating. If gaming is an issue for you and your family, it is important to detox your child from it.
Detoxing your child from video games can be difficult but is an achievable challenge. With the help of the Limit Launcher App, your child can have the best of both worlds. You will be able to help your child balance gaming as well as balance daily activities.
