All About Kids' Gaming: Addiction, What Age Is Suitable, etc

[nettie]

How do you control the DS or computer games addiction of your child?


Do you have a time out for that? Any punishment?

[BigDevil]

You might want to read up this thread...

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7598

There were some parents mentioning how they control the children's usage.

[adhdadhd]

Wow, very tough indeed…


I don’t control, as the more you do, the more they will go against you, tis what I learnt from friends too.

Now, I made the message very very clear to him, by nagging until he kind of knows playing game online is an addiction.

Lately, upon his 11th birthday, I pronounced him a grown up boy, entering teenage, and need to learn to control himself.
I allocate 1 hour free time per day, for him to do whatever he like (including playing online games, animal kaisa cards etc), BUT, conditioned upon, all homeworks must be done!

He has to learn to decide, while I watch and guide… promised him nagging no more…

The best is don’t start him in any of this, my son is suffering from neck ache, after playing PSP games for 3 years. Now we stopped him, only allow during month long holidays.

[nettie]

but do you lock up the DS and give him back during the weekend?


I recently found out that my boy play under the blanket when he is supposed to be asleep by 12am. :x :x during the weekdays.

[tankee]

nettie:

....my boy play under the blanket when he is supposed to be asleep ....

this is bad ! He is addicted.

you have to help him fight his addiction fast.

[BigDevil]

nettie:

but do you lock up the DS and give him back during the weekend?


I recently found out that my boy play under the blanket when he is supposed to be asleep by 12am. :x :x during the weekdays.

Sounds like that's what you should do since he can't control his addiction...

[sakura_2009]

nettie:

but do you lock up the DS and give him back during the weekend?


I recently found out that my boy play under the blanket when he is supposed to be asleep by 12am. :x :x during the weekdays.

I think most kids cannot 'control' their own addiction. The more they play, the more excited they get and they just want to continue playing...regardless of the time, same goes for my DS :roll: So I first started by giving it to him only during weekends, but he don't really get much time to play coz he has some enrichment courses going on. So now I just give it to him only when its sch hols. Finds that it works best coz then he will be able to fully 'concentrate' on his studies during school term Of course must also make sure he finishes his sch holiday work first lar...

[nettie]

i told my maid to lock up the DS this morning and he reallie look very sad.. it seems the end of the world!


I control the time he can access to the PC now. Just now after time up, he got kick out. He stand up and went to the bathroom straight! hahahaha..

I always need to nag at him to take a shower almost every time he come back from school but now.. i need not to

How i wish the DS also can have this time out thingy like PC!

[Luvkid]

nettie:

How do you control the DS or computer games addiction of your child?


Do you have a time out for that? Any punishment?

I share my experience in another thread, since there is something similar, i copy my post to here too.


Well, in DS1 (8yo) case, he starts to play educational CD-ROM game when he was mid k1. Not a MUST for him to play on every weekend at then. When he was in P1, it is a MUST to play on Friday nite, saturday & sunday. But i restricted everyday time frame to 1 hour. Occasionally increase extra half an hour for his good behaviour. And there was time, computer time was OUT for him (over 1 weekend) due to his irresponsible acts . His initial educational game turned out to be internet games , although once a while he would go into the school learning portal..... :!: I was like :x But just close one eye to let him play, as long as THEY (the games) are not harmful...... :roll: Now i make a must for him to play evenly among educational & internet games & the school assigned learning portal. I still got to monitor closely for his time frame though.... :?:


Now as DS2 (4 yo) gets older, will also request his computer time He will watch LION DANCE, Fairy Tales in youtube....And games \"passed down\" by his brother Surprisngly, he handles the mouse well enough and know what to click though none of us, nor the school has taught him to do that. He was caught switch on the computer yesterday and started to click on the game he wanted to play!! :stupid:


My computer at home can be quite hectic on weekends (friday, staurday & sunday), cos 3 ppl (DS1, DS2 & mummy here :oops: )in queue to use it. Luckily, DH is not one who loves to stick infront of it......

[sakura_2009]

nettie:

i told my maid to lock up the DS this morning and he reallie look very sad.. it seems the end of the world!


I control the time he can access to the PC now. Just now after time up, he got kick out. He stand up and went to the bathroom straight! hahahaha..

I always need to nag at him to take a shower almost every time he come back from school but now.. i need not to

How i wish the DS also can have this time out thingy like PC!

DS also gave me the 'end of the world' look each time I removed his DS and told him he's not getting it back till weekends or till the sch hols. It can be very tempting to want to give it back to him on normal school days seeing that 'forlorn' look on his face but seriously, we need to mean what we said and keep it away from him until the agreed time frame.

You will be surprised that he can very well 'survived' without that thingy, and hey, you will probably even noticed that he is now more 'pro-active' in doing basic stuff like bathing, having dinner and even doing his home work without having to 'nag' at him. That's because his 'mind' is no longer on the DS, so now he can 'concentrate' more on doing what he is supposed to be doing...