A lot of us remember with nostalgic fondness we were young with limited or no use of just about any video gaming. That it was a period when children messed around with physical toys and imagination was the most significant tool in virtually any child’s toy room. These days, however, video games have grow to be a staple of our children’s playtime. Gaming systems absolutely are a should have for a lot of children, while interactive video games on computers, notebooks as well as smartphones have become the standard. There is absolutely no escaping it, then there is absolutely nothing to claim that computer games are inherently bad. However, when will a pastime become a habit? Let’s check out a number of the indicators that may suggest your youngster is spending excessive time playing games.
Falling Grades
One of the most obvious signs that video games are taking up too much of your child’s time is falling grades from school. A sudden drop in grades can often be attributable to a change in habits at home. When your child is putting less time into their homework so that they have more free time to play video games, you know you have a problem. Pay close attention to reports from school, and it is always important that your child understands that getting their homework finished more quickly doesn’t necessarily mean more time on the computer.
Trouble Sleeping
Playing video games stimulate different parts of the brain, and if your child is playing on their video games too soon before bed they may have difficulty getting to sleep. To this end, parents should consider imposing set times whereby video game play is allowed, and this should always finish some time before the child is due to go to bed.
Emotional Attachment
Video games are meant to be fun pastimes that don’t require emotional engagement. If your child is forming too close an attachment with their games or game, it may manifest itself through mood swings, upset or distress at not being allowed to play. This level of attachment is not healthy for a young child, and can negatively affect their ability to interact socially with others. Your child should enjoy playing video games, and it is certainly healthy for them to want to play video games, but they should never need to play video games. If that behaviour presents itself, it is a strong indication that an addiction may be forming.