1. Pay attention to ESRB ratings. Computer games aren’t like movies - they are more immersive and you need to think harder before you let your kid play a game that has a Teen or Mature Rating.
2. Write up some rules about computer use with your child. Make sure to include stuff like safeguarding personal information, limiting the amount of time your child can play on the computer, cyberbullying (don’t say it online if you wouldn’t say it in person), and what to do if your child encounters some inappropriate content. Finally, agree on a healthy amount of time to spend on the computer. here’s a template you can use.
3. Find out why your child plays games. This will involve some work. read this thoroughly - pay special attention to the part about how kids run into trouble when they use games to escape. People play games for different reasons - we need to understand this as parents.
