HomeAbout Blog Articles Curriculum Resource Directory Shop Facebook |
||||||||||||||||||
Download our FREE The Educating Parent Resource Directories today!
Plus... more FREE resources!
Support Groups: National SA VIC NSW QLD TAS ACT NT Looking for support, reassurance and information? |
Computer Games: Parental Guidelines by Paul Wilson reprinted with permission: first published in Metamorphosis: Tools for Transformation a weekly newsletter by Peter Shepard www.trans4mind.com Many children spend at 13-30 hours a week gaming. Most computer games are violent and aggressive and do little to inculcate moral values. Studies indicate that gaming results in aggressiveness and violent responses in children. And, children are less concerned and helpful towards their peers and families. They become socially stunted. The onus of minimizing these effects and ensuring that children receive a rounded upbringing falls on parents. It is important to introduce character building activities and to censor games when necessary, ensuring suitability. Study the guidelines established by the Entertainment Software Board. They indicate suitability for different age groups. Read the content label which will summarize the game; this will serve as an appropriateness guideline. Visit www.ESRB.com which provides game ratings as well as reviews. Know your child. If you find any signs of being unsettled, withdraw the games that cause this change in behavior. Feel free to contact the manufacturer and voice your opinion. Introduce games that titillate the imagination and make use of the mind. Avoid violence and aggression. Instead encourage games that are fun and have a degree of effective learning. Use games to maximize your child's interests. If the child is mechanical minded purchase games that encourage this talent. Choose games that require decisions and strategies. Games should be more than shoot, blow up, destroy, and kill! Set up the computer and gaming console in a family room. All games will then be out in the open. You will be in a position to judge and monitor. Playing games should be a privilege not a right. Emphasize that parental approval is a must. Explain why a game is not to be played. Never just take away a game. A child needs to understand why you are against playing certain games. Rent a game and play it yourself. First hand knowledge will serve you well. Play the games with your child. Know their reactions and learn their responses. Establish an open relationship where your child becomes comfortable even talking about what is inappropriate or disturbing. Interact with your child at all levels. Establish gently what is right and wrong. Bullying does not help. Communicate with other parents. You will glean the trends, know the popularity. Focus on social and emotional development. The child must be confident, curious, and forthright; display self control; be able to relate linearly, be caring and cooperative, and be communicative. Introducing games that require two or more players helps foster social interaction. Gaming is a part of modern life. It introduces computer technology, problem solving, and logic. It improves motor as well as spatial skills. Games are not just entertaining, they can be therapeutic too. Choose wisely and guide your child to obtain the benefits of computer games and not the negative effects. Paul Wilson is the content manager for 1888 Free Online Games.com , the premier website to play thousands of free online games, including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more.Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you? Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating offering encouragement and reassurance to families wanting better outcomes for their children. Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home. Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.
|
and Learning without School! We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine
The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.
The Educating Parent acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners, the Custodians of Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people viewing this website. Home education is a legal alternative Without revenue from advertising |
The opinions and articles included on this website are not necessarily those of Beverley Paine,
The Educating Parent, nor do they endorse or recommend products listed in contributed articles, pages, or advertisements on pages within this website.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used on this site that take you to products or services outside of this site. Please review products and services completely prior to purchasing through these links. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question before purchasing or signing up. Always Learning Books, April Jermey assume no responsibility for those purchases or returns of products or services as a result of using these affiliate links.
If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about this site, please feel free to contact us.
Text and images on this site © All Rights Reserved 1999-2024.