Question:

My 6-year-old son sits in front of the computer all the time, and it is very difficult to get him to do something else – for example play outside with his friends (they also prefer to play computer games). Do you have any good advice?

I have often wondered if we parents are going to laugh at ourselves in a few years because we were so skeptical of our children's computer use ... whether we "overreacted" etc. Are computer games a sort of toy for children of today? Why is it so difficult to get children interested in other things? Why are computer games much more fun (for most children that I know) than "ordinary” toys? I wish that we didn’t have to go through the same hassle every day trying to limit our child’s use of the computer.

Answer from Kids and Media’s Director:

I have children of the same age and I am familiar with the challenge you’re describing!

What children learn from games depend on the games they play. We parents ought to carefully consider which games we give our children. It is easier to control which games our children play if we buy them games for a PC / Mac or a gaming console such as Playstation or Nintendo, rather than, for example, allowing them to choose from available online games.

I would encourage you to have clear limits regarding time: When and how much is it okay to play? It is much easier to incorporate good habits when the children are young than it is when they are, for example, 10-12 years old. In other words, I believe you will be rewarded for your efforts if you work actively on introducing clear time limits now.

In my home, we have introduced the term “screen break”. When my children play, or have friends over playing with them, and I think they have spent enough time on a computer game, I say "when this round is over", or "in five minutes", "it’s time for a screen break”. This means that the TV / PC is to be turned off and the children must do something else. I introduced this early and both my children and their friends respect this.

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