How to get kids to stop playing video games

Most children love video games, also known as video games. While video games are also educational and can teach children certain skills, kids spend too much time with game controllers. Playing video games has the potential to lead to obesity and cognitive problems in children. You don’t have to cut this hobby out of your child’s life entirely, but set boundaries and help your child find other activities to limit video play time.

Table of Contents

Set clear boundaries

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Outline specific laws. Clearly, establishing rules is important in changing children’s behavior. Your child should know exactly what you want or expect from him and it should all be clear. You also need to establish firm penalties for breaking the law. Sit down and discuss new rules with your child. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Don’t say, “You can only play video games for a few hours a day and don’t play too late.” That’s too vague. Instead, say, “On school days, you can play games for an hour, but not after 8 p.m..”
Expect negative reactions. This is natural, especially if there’s never been a boundary before. Your child may throw tantrums, say harsh words, cry, beg, or even threaten. You have to stay calm. If possible, ignore the child’s outbursts and repeat the consequences of the behavior.

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Be clear with the consequences you set. Your child needs to know there are clear, established penalties for breaking the law. When making rules, don’t forget to talk more about the results so your child understands. Do not speak vaguely as it may confuse your child. ^{[2] X Research Source}

For example, you could say, “If your child is obedient every time he turns off his video games, doesn’t get angry or behaves rudely, and doesn’t play after 8 p.m., then every day he goes to school, he gets to play 1 hour a day. lake. And if you cause problems, play longer than 1 hour or play after 8 pm, you will lose the right to play the game the next day.”

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Do exactly what you said. After setting limits and penalties, you have to do it right. If you let your child break the rules without reprimanding him, he’ll see that you’re not strict and then won’t follow the rules. Make sure you do what you say if your child violates it. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Consistency on penalties. It’s easy for us to suddenly soften up if our baby is cute or even scold us harshly if we argue back. But the consequences should always be obvious and easily predictable. While this isn’t unchangeable, don’t do it in a moment that is emotionally driven or unspecified.
You should remember that video games are not strictly necessary for a healthy and happy life of children – it can be completely eliminated. Parents sometimes forget that it’s okay to cut out gaming altogether if kids don’t meet the time limit.

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Use a stopwatch. Using timers and alerts can also help children prepare for the end of the allotted time. Children have a hard time adapting, even when they know it’s coming. When children are warned that time is running out, they are more likely to change. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Warn your child when there are 10 to 15 minutes left before time runs out.
Set an alarm 5 minutes before the timer runs out. When the alarm goes off, tell your child, “You have five minutes left. You should focus on saving your game.”

Help your child transition

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Spend time with your child to develop strategies to stop playing video games. Involve your child in the process of setting limits on gaming. You should let your child know that he can’t play games that are too exciting or long on weeknights, or devise rewards for following the rules in playing video games. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

For example, you could say that your child doesn’t have to try to win this level because if he doesn’t have time, he can save it and continue playing on the weekend.
You and your child can brainstorm rewards for being obedient for a week, a month, or longer. Don’t offer rewards like extra hours of gameplay. Instead, discuss with your child other fun rewards that you both agree on.

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Gradually reduce the time children play games. Instead of banning video games altogether, you should gradually shorten the amount of time your child plays. For example, if your child spends all of his time every day after school playing, limit it to an hour or two first. You should explain your reasons for reducing the amount of time you spend playing video games, and say that you still want your child to play because you respect their favorite activity. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, you could say, “You were angry and rude to me when you told me to stop playing video games. My grades have also dropped in recent months because of my addiction to gaming. Mom couldn’t accept that. I want you to have your own fun, but we need to limit the amount of time we play each day.”
Cutting down on video games entirely would be controversial. What you want is to limit the child’s behavior, not completely deprive him of his enjoyment.

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Teach children the habit of switching. Ending playtime is hard, and it can be hard for your child to quit right away. You should help your child by including a physical activity to mark the end of video game time. This will help your baby get used to the transition from the game world to normal life. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

For example, you can use a separate language to mark the end. Say something upbeat like, “I’m being called to leave the land of fiction and return to the real world! Welcome back!”
Set physical markers. You can give your child a glass of water, stretch with him or do warm-up exercises.

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Build family time. Take your kids away from video games by creating family time for everyone in the house to do something together. Family time should be an almost mandatory part and every family member, from parents to children, must participate. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Sometimes, you can let your child choose an activity to make them feel that they can do what they want. Don’t force your child to do things they don’t want to do because you might disappoint them.
You can ask your child to help you make dinner and make it a daily ritual.
Take your baby for a walk, ride a bike, play chess, play cards or watch a movie together at night.
You can set penalties if your child doesn’t participate in family activities. For example, if he skips a family activity, he won’t be able to play the video game next time.

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Teach your child how to save their play. Many young children do not know how to navigate the game features and need your guidance. If your kids can save their game and don’t feel like their hard work is being wasted, you’ll have less trouble finishing your child’s video game time.

Explain to your child that a game takes tens to hundreds of hours to complete. That means the game cannot be played all at once but needs to be split.
When the time is up, you should wait for your child to save the game and help if he is too young to do it himself. If your child tries to “buy time” and it takes too long to save the game, subtract that time from the next day’s game time. If the situation continues, the child will not be allowed to play anymore because the rule has been broken. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Encourage other hobbies

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Encourage your child to find other activities. Video games are just a way for kids to entertain themselves. Besides that, there’s a lot more kids can do, especially if it’s not allowed to go back to video games. You should encourage your child to pursue other interests, and if he can’t think of an activity, offer suggestions. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Don’t be afraid to say “no” if your child asks to play video games because “there’s nothing to do.”
For example, your child can play with other toys, make plays, write music or movies, read books, play outdoors, engage in creative activities such as painting, writing or chess, playing cards, and so on. Cloud.

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Get children involved in social activities. Playing video games is a solitary activity. You can encourage your child to participate in group activities that they enjoy. Brainstorm together and let your child choose favorite activities instead of deciding on your own. ^{[12] X Research Source}

You can have your child join youth groups in your religious organization. Youth clubs, children’s art houses and libraries in the area also have youth programs.
Look for arts programs in drama, music, and painting. You can also find programs about computers, construction or activities in other fields.
Recreational sports can be fun for some children, however, never force your child to play sports if they don’t want to.

Assess your child’s condition

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Consider the amount of time your child plays video games that you can accept. Everyone has a different opinion on how acceptable video games are. Decide what time you think makes sense for each day and week. Some parents limit their children’s gaming time to an hour a day, while others don’t allow their kids to play video games at all during school days and only let them play for a few hours on weekends. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Many health and development experts recommend that children spend no more than two hours a day in front of a television or computer screen. Focus on reviewing the time you think is appropriate and deciding how much time to spend playing video games with your children.

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Parents need to familiarize themselves with the worrisome signs of video game addiction. Some kids can develop a real video game addiction. They exhibit behavioral, emotional, and physical symptoms, such as becoming indifferent to family and friends. It’s important for parents to know the signs and symptoms so they can recognize it if this happens to their child. ^{[15] X Research Source}

For example, your child may be aggressive or upset when not playing video games, can’t stop playing, or lose interest in other activities. It is possible that children are easily irritated or bored when they are not allowed to play games. Your child may neglect personal hygiene, have sleep disruptions, and have back or wrist pain.

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Take your child to the doctor if you notice a problem. If you believe your child is addicted to video games and you have tried to limit his behavior but have failed, you need professional help. Your baby’s personal doctor or psychiatrist can work with you and your child to actively help change behavior and keep your child within limits. ^{[16] X Research Source}

This is a wise choice if your child reacts violently to limited exposure to video games. If your child is destructive, aggressive, or threatening when you try to change his or her behavior, you need to see a psychiatrist.

Steps

Set clear boundaries

Help your child transition

Encourage other hobbies

Assess your child’s condition

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