Make a PACT with your kids

Very good guide to making an agreement about media use with your students.  MS_PACT.pdf

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Yes. 

Sit down and talk with your child about common-sense rules for computer use.  You both should think about:

1. How much time per day is reasonable?
2. What sites are ok to visit?
3. Is it ok to IM and chat?
4. When your kid is using the internet for homework, what are the guidelines?
5. What happens when a rule is broken?
6. What kinds of games are ok to play?
7. What should your kid do if they encounter something that makes them feel uncomfortable?
8. How often should these rules be revisited?
9. Will you install parent-survey software? Will you discuss the results?

You should keep the computer in a public place in the house.

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blah blah blah blah blah do what I say and not what I do blah blah blah blah.

Life is hard sometimes, and our kids need to hide / escape / deal. This is normal. Sometimes as adults we need the same thing.  Pay attention to how your children play games, what they are playing, and what else they are doing. If you want me to write some formula for you I will…but you know your son or daughter a hell of a lot better than I do.

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What’s up with games and trust?

Video games can sit at the social crossroads of parenting, adolescents, trust, autonomy, values, culture, and adulthood.

Because of this, there is a tremendous variation in the ways families and people approach video games. Some families might be very liberal, some might be quite conservative.

I always thought good parenting is about the right balance of letting go and holding on, and like our immune system, kids need to be exposed to society in order to learn how to deal with it.

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At the end of the day,  you are the parent. You are in charge, and you make the rules.  Use this power with care.  I’ve seen many parents use the nuclear option - not just for games, but for anything. 

You get what you want, and you can injure your relationship with your kid.

Am I saying let your kid do what they want to, whenever they want to? No. I am saying create reasonable rules, ofter positive alternatives, and create clear and flexible structure.  Computer games can be bad, sure - but almost anything can be when taken into extreme or used maliciously.

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