Why and how do parents forbid kids playing games?

Different kinds of video games have become a permanent part of life of the majority of modern kids and teenagers (adults, as well, but that's a whole different topic). So naturally, parents sound the alarm and want to cut down this activity if they see that their kids get carried away. Sometimes, though, parents are against video games from the very start.

Why do parents don't want their kids to play?

Many parents today are very concerned about their kids playing video games. There are many different reasons why they think it is a bad thing for children. Here are some of the most common ones.

They think games cause violence in real life

Although there are no scientific proofs of it, many parents think that playing violent games make kids become violent in real life. The single cases of kids that attack their parents, teachers or school friends make those parents' fears even bigger.

Kids pay less attention to school, parents and friends

Kids naturally enjoy playing games more than doing homework and go to school. So, they pay less attention to doing good as a student and don't care much about their grades. They may also start spending less time with parents and friends preferring their online buddies. That may seem like a serious problem for parents.

Kids are less active

Normal kids are usually full of energy; they run around the whole day and always get involved in different activities. When they get engaged with games, they naturally sit more and move less. That may cause some health problems. There are many other reasons parents have for forbidding video games, but these are more often mentioned ones.

What do parents do to stop the excessive game-playing?

Many parents address the problem of excessive game playing only when it occurs. The practice says that if parents from the very start teach kids about the dangers of game addiction and talk about it a lot, kids tend to not get into it so much. However, if parents see that their kids spend too much time at the computed or with their tablet, they usually do some of the following.  

They have serious talks

Often parent try to convince kids that playing too many video games is not good. They use logical arguments and convincing facts. The results of such talks depend entirely on parents' approach and how reasonable the kids are. 

They offer alternatives

Sometimes parents start to introduce other activities in kids' lives to replace games. They take kids to different places and events, they sign kids in different school activities and sport teams, they arrange family evenings and family trips, etc. It is a great approach, as many kids start playing games out of boredom in the beginning.

They simply forbid it

Many parents say that kids just cannot play from now on. They set a strict discipline and control kids' every move. Such practice is considered wrong by psychologists, as it can cause serious emotional problems, depression and other mental troubles in kids.

They block games

Some parents choose to block games either from the start or when they see a problem. If kids play computer games, there is software that blocks some or all of these games. This is the kind of discipline that is quite spread among parents.

It is a fact that video games are in our lives for good. And it is up to parents to decide whether to allow their kids to play for as long as they want, limit the time of playing or forbid it at all. In any case, parents need to make a research and learn some facts about video games before jumping to any conclusions.