Set Your Child's Gaming Hours to Avoid Addictions

Parenting is not just forbidding or permitting. Parents must understand what are the needs of children and the limits.

Parents who have a background in playing games certainly know how their childhood intersects with these digital games. And if by now these veteran game players have become parents, the approach given to their children could be looser.

Thus, supervision is the key word. Supervision is important for children who are starting to get addicted to games. This is because addiction to online games can damage an area of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex.

This area of the brain is responsible for self-control, behavior and also impulses, namely things that are done without thinking again. If this part is damaged a person can no longer think carefully. As a result, his decisions and behavior generate what is called the neurotransmitter dopamine, which makes him feel happy. The area of the pre-frontal cortex in the human brain will be damaged due to game addiction which makes the addict unable to control himself and his behavior.

In the long term online game addiction can also trigger executive dysfunction in planning.

Although dangerous, some of the games developed actually stimulate children's creative power. Call it the game Minecraft, LittleBigPlanet, Lego Worlds, or Super Mario Maker. With these games, children can use their imagination and try to solve the problems they face.

For that, as parents, it is necessary to adjust what games are allowed to be played. Age categorization, types of games need attention.

Like movies, all video games have an age rating, which is worth noting. If you don't allow your child to watch an 18-rated movie, they can't play an 18-rated game.

Apart from ratings, another monitoring you need to do is playing hours.

A number of experts are still arguing about how long children play games. However, 1-3 hours a day is the duration for children to play games.

To balance the stagnant activity of playing games, parents must be good at persuading their children to go outside or play with non-electronic toys.

Games such as wooden cars or yo-yos can help children hone their motor and sensory sensors. Children can also be trained to distinguish which objects are hard and which are soft.

Games that involve children's physical activity also need attention. Invite your children to play on the seesaw, trampoline, or swim. Besides being able to prevent obesity, such activities can also encourage increased emotional intelligence.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that playing can stimulate a child's brain and optimize its growth.

Play can also increase children's emotional and social bonds with their parents and peers.