It seems that the people talking about games almost as much
as gamers are the parents of the said gamers. They even have forums and
websites dedicated to discuss their concerns, well we thought we could do out bid
to give them some information about video games in general to ease their mind.
They can use this information to learn more about the gamers they are raising
and maybe promote healthy amount of gaming in younger players.
Ratings
All games come with an appropriate rating assigned to them
by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board); you should look at the
rating of each game before allowing your kids to play it. Ratings that are
appropriate for young gamers are Early Childhood, Everyone and Everyone 10+. If
you are still not comfortable with your child playing the game, you can observe
them playing for a while to see the content of the game.
The Gaming Devices
The list of gaming devices just keeps on growing; consoles,
computers, laptops, handheld players, smart phones and tablets all have the
capabilities needed for gaming. It will be very difficult for you to monitor every
device, so restrict gaming on devices that you can keep an eye on.
Have a Discussion
Although it will be painful for your kids to talk to you
about games, they will still listen to you if you have a serious discussion
about them. Let them know that they need to maintain a balance between gaming
and all their other activities. Be sure to talk about online gaming with them,
the people they may encounter online and how to interact with them.
Boundaries
This is the last thing any gamer, even a budding one, wants
to hear; but you need to set some boundaries for playing games. Allow them a
limited time per day or week for playing games. And if they go over their time
limit and you want to pull the plug, please for the love of God let them save
their game first. If they are playing games online, check the websites they are
visiting and whether they are appropriate for their age or not.
This is some basic information that will help keep the peace
between gamers and their parents. And remembers to play some games with them,
this will help you understand video gaming better and it will be a great
bonding activity.
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