If you frequently struggle with your kid playing video games, well there are some things you might be surprised to hear. The fact is, kids who play a lot of video games tend to do better in school than those who don’t. That’s right. It may sound crazy, but it’s true. For example, they are often better at problem-solving skills, which is something that can be directly related to their academic success down the road.

They also have a better imagination due to thinking more creatively while playing. It can also be a great outlet for stress and frustration. Like the general saying, too much everything is not good. You need to be able to guide your kid so that they don’t get addicted to games or not focus on other important things.

Get your kids blue light blocking glasses

You might be well aware that sitting in front of the television or computer for hours is not good for your health. Your kids can play games and also be protected with blue-light blocking glasses. These glasses help to decrease the retina’s exposure to harmful blue light and stop macular degeneration, cataracts, and other serious conditions.

Do not take this matter lightly, as it can cause severe damage to your kid’s eyesight. As explained by the team behind Block Blue Light UK, blue light emits from the screens of TVs, smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc. which can result in macular degeneration that may lead to loss of vision if left untreated. You have to get these glasses so that your child will be able to enjoy their games without risking health.

Make sure you know and approve of which games your child is playing

Make sure that they are appropriate for their age and ensure they are with the family’s values and rules on violence, language, etc. You don’t want to end up buying or allowing your child to play something that goes against what you believe in, especially if they are under 18 years old. Be familiar with the game your child is playing. Even if it’s not your type of game, you should at least know what they are about and how they work, this way you can more easily offer advice or help them out (and possibly stay connected with them).

When choosing a game for kids, go for one that has an age rating of six or higher. This way you can be sure that the content is suitable for your child, and they won’t get exposed to anything inappropriate (e.g. sexual content, offensive language, violence).

Give your kid a weekly schedule

As you can imagine, kids need to have a lot of time in front of the computer. This is why they’ll most likely love to spend their free time playing video games. The good news for parents is that many kids’ games are educational, but that doesn’t completely solve the problem. Your child will want to spend every minute he or she can play video games. If you let them, they might stay glued in front of their computer all day long. However, you must provide them with other activities.

Just under the right circumstances and with the right things in mind. Make sure they understand that there are times where they should be doing other things like studying, exercising, and interacting with people in real life. Make sure they understand the importance of balance and moderation in life. If you have school-aged kids, try to find a good time for them to take a break from the video games, so they can have some physical activity instead. Some parents say that it’s best to limit gaming to an hour or two each day, but every child is different, so you’ll know what works best for you.

Make sure that your child knows that you do want them to play

One important thing is to allow your child to know that you are not against them playing games, but you want them to use their time wisely. This will enable them to feel free and discuss it with you. Start your child off on the right foot by buying a game system for their birthday or Christmas. This will make sure that they are not tempted to buy one themselves, which usually happens when children are around thirteen years of age.

You can also spend time playing video games yourself or at least try it out before you completely dismiss it as a complete waste of time and energy, which is not true at all. Make sure that you don’t get stuck in the belief that playing video games means you can’t do anything else useful with your time. Make sure to let your child know about this, so they understand why their parents are not against them playing video games.

Don’t be too hard on your kid if they are hooked to video games, because you can lose them altogether. If you get angry, they will not want to talk about it. Try to get them interested in other things like sports and socialising with people face to face. Video games are a good stress reliever, but moderation is the key, your child should know that there is more to life than video games and connectivity.