As a father, I could say that video games are good or bad and leave it at that, but the truth is, video games are a much more complicated issue than just saying kids should or should not play them. Let’s consider what they do and don’t do for your kids.
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Video Games Improve Hand-Eye Coordination
This is just the way it is. Kids can improve their hand-eye coordination by playing video games. However, you may also discover, by watching your kid play video games, that they have unbelievably good hand-eye coordination. My son, who is now seven, has amazing coordination, and we can see it when he plays video games.
However, You Have To Keep Them From Doing It All The Time
We do have to police our son because he could literally play video games all day. I won’t cast aspersions, because, I’ve done that myself when I was younger. However, I was also active in sports and I was in band when I got into middle school. I had a way to use the hand-eye coordination I was cultivating by playing video games.
Find A Way For Your Child To Use What They Learn
Video games are just one component of what your child can do to enjoy themselves. Kids should be able to do the things they love, but their plate should be pretty diverse. Video games aren’t all good or all bad. If you’re playing a sport, that’s just another way to use your hand-eye coordination. Playing an instrument is another way to make sure that the hand-eye coordination is being used.
What Kinds Of Games Can They Play
The other side of this argument is violence. Many video games are incredibly violent, and while they may seem cool to adults, they may not be cool for kids.
Parents should choose games for their kids very carefully. This is how you prevent video games from becoming a pursuit that is all bad. One of the many complaints is that they are so violent. Well, taking out the violent aspect can make video games really fun. If a child is only exposed to video games that are appropriate for their age level, they’ll enjoy them.
Moreover, when kids play games with their siblings, they can’t always play themselves. So, kids learn to be patient, to share, and to learn what’s going on in the game just by watching. Hand-eye coordination is one thing, but observation skills are another.
Again, as a father, I can watch my son observe how the game should be played while his sisters are playing. He learns just as much about what to do whether he’s holding the controller or not.
Kick Them Outside
We let our kids play video games, but we also kick them out of the house and make them go outside. If kids are given strong boundaries, they’ll follow them.
As you can see, video games are not all good or all bad. They are right in between. As long as we monitor our kids and make sure they are doing other activities, using the things they learn, and building observation skills as well, we’ll all be in good shape when they play video games.
