Talking to your teen about gaming

The school holidays are on the horizon and I’m busy organising play dates and holiday care, stressing about taking time off work, and agonising over whether my 7-year-old will get more out of playball or circus skills.

I’m envious of my friends with high-school aged kids. After all, they can leave their boys to their own devices…

However, as one friend explained to me, leaving her son to his own ‘devices’ is exactly the problem.

She’s not worried about her teenage boy starving to death or even burning the house down. Her concerns are all about how she’s going handle her son’s gaming when he’s home alone over the holidays.

My own iPad wrangling days are only just beginning, but I’m keeping this article on how to talk to teens about computer games on file for later down the track. Gaming isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, the digital world is only going to become ever more pervasive, and our kids need to know how to navigate their way around it safely. I love how this article approaches gaming not as a problem to be dealt with, but as a tool to help you make important connections with your son.

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