Do your kids love to play games? If so, you will be happy to know that gaming can actually be good for them! In fact, gaming as a family can be a fun and constructive way to nurture your bond and create lasting memories with your little ones. Of course, too much of anything is also never a good idea. So, how can you balance family fun with health and safety? Using these expert-backed family gaming tips can get you off to the right start.
Choosing The Right Tech for Gaming
If you want to start gaming with your kids, start by picking out the right gaming console for your family. The Nintendo Switch is a popular choice for families with younger children, and this gaming system offers thousands of titles that are appropriate for gamers of all ages. Playstation and Xbox are also fun options, but these may be best for older children and adults.
You can also pick up PC games for your kids to play, but you may want to upgrade your monitor if you go this route. You can find top-rated, affordable monitors that won’t break the bank but still come loaded with features that will make gaming even more fun. High resolution, zero frame design and widescreen IPS displays are just some of the features you should look for in your new monitor.
If you plan on offering your children gaming breaks while you work from home, you should also invest in a pair of headphones. Your kids can also use headphones to game on road trips, which will make traveling as a family less stressful.
Keeping Online Gaming Safe & Fun
One of the huge perks of gaming is that you can stay connected to friends and family members. This can be an even bigger bonus when social-distancing is preventing you from getting together with loved ones, so you may even want to plan regular family gaming nights. Before your kids can hop online and start playing with their grandparents, you will want to make sure your home is connected to fast and reliable internet. Fiber optic connections, such as Verizon’s Fios Gigabit Connection, provide the fastest internet speeds with less lag time and buffering to keep your online gaming experience smooth.
An upgraded internet connection will also make working or learning from home easier, so definitely consider giving your provider a call or switching altogether. In addition to providing a faster connection for your family, you will also want to make sure your connection is safe. Understanding the most common online gaming hazards for children will help you establish rules and safeguards for your family.
Putting Reasonable Limits on Screens
Okay, so gaming can definitely be a fun way for your family to blow off steam and it can help you all stay sane while social-distancing. Even with the benefits of gaming, however, you may be wondering whether all of that extra screen time is doing your kids more harm than good? Well, the answer is still up for debate. On one hand, too much screen time has been shown to have some impacts on learning abilities and even their brain development. One study found that children who were exposed to more screens scored lower on language tests, but another study found that using screens can help older kids relieve stress.
Most experts do agree that using screens before bed can reduce sleep quality for both kids and adults, so you may want to keep your gaming sessions to daytime hours. But if your family is feeling stressed by things going on in the outside world, relaxing screen limits is perfectly fine! Especially If doing so gives you more time to focus on remote work or provides a brain break for your kids.
Gaming can be a relaxing way for your family to pass the time. Plus, this fun activity can even be beneficial for you and your children! So, consider pulling back on those screen limits and letting your family let loose with some quality gaming sessions.
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