In a country that settles each night in front of the television,
it just seems strange that more and more people are finding the
allure of the computer screen sometimes more important. There is
no doubt that children do as their parents do. They enjoy
exploring the vast world of the Internet. They are excited to
get that new computer game. But, how much time in front of the
computer screen is the right amount of time?
There is no doubt going to be a number of people that come out
and say that children are spending far too much time in front of
the computer. They may end up telling us that their eyes will go
back or something. Regardless of what they will say, we know now
that it is important to limit the amount of time children use
the computer. We know this because we know that it just makes
sense that children who play on the computer too much loose the
physical aspects of life along with the elements of pretend play
that actually teach them quite a bit.
As parents, it is up to us to limit what the child is doing. It
is up to us to provide for them something worthwhile to do while
they are on the web as well. In this, we mean that you, Mom or
Dad, need to commit to knowing which games they are playing and
which websites they plan to visit. Here's a great way to limit
what they are actually doing.
Instead of allowing them to surf and end up on some bad website
out there, go ahead and download a game or two for them. Games
that are available on the web are fun, but when the parent gets
to do the picking, they can be fun and educational at the same
time. Does your child need math help? Then go ahead and give
them a fun math game that teaches what they need in an easy to
get along with manner. This can be done for a number of subjects
like spelling, science, history and language. By giving them a
computer game like these, they can make their computer time,
well, worth it in your eyes.
You would be surprised by how many parents simply say, "Yes, you
can play on the internet." Many of them do not know what their
child is doing let alone know that he or she is playing an
educational game! Yeah right! Most kids are going to find and
play a game that interests them with flashing colors and
graphics. That doesn't mean that they won't like games that
don't provide this element. But, the websites they tend to visit
are full of advertisements that lure them in. Your job is to
point them in the right direction.
So, back to our question; how much is the right amount of time
for computer time for your child? Well, inside that question is
the word, "your" and that means that it is at your discretion
that you should consider their need. Balance their day with
physical, emotional, pretend and all those other important
educational elements then add in a little time for computer
play. Believe it or not, they are building skills that they will
need later in life too.
About the author:
Steve is a member of the GrandMatrix team. Read more articles,
download the latest PC games for free and play thousands of user
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