Nowadays, more and more parents are faced with the problem of children's addiction to gadgets and games. Cases are different. Sometimes this turns into a real problem, as the child ceases to be interested in real life and the virtual one becomes more meaningful and important.
First of all, you need to understand that children go to games for a reason.
In most cases, this is not a comfortable environment at home, problems and conflicts with classmates and teachers, lack of hobbies and interests, where the child succeeds, lack of friends and acquaintances with whom he could do something interesting. Roughly speaking, the child comes to understand that in this world he has nothing that captivates him, including positive emotions. Therefore, he leaves for that world where everything is clear to him and where he feels comfortable.
Switching a child from a fictional world to the real one can be difficult. The child has not yet formed as a person and may not understand that he has problems. And without the desire to change the situation, there is no motivation. Therefore, parents need to create a motivational foundation on which the child's future life will be built.
To begin with, parents whose children are immersed in the virtual world need to talk with the child and tune in to a long work, which will certainly lead to good changes.
Ask your child questions:
Are you feeling lonely?
Do you feel unwanted and unloved?
Do you have the feeling that life in reality is not interesting and boring?
Most children will not be able to answer these questions right away and will most likely brush you off. Your task is to find the right time and arrange the child to yourself so that these questions do not sound at a time when the child is busy and passionate about something else. In the course of a normal conversation, these questions will be relevant and the child will take them into account unconsciously and think, even if he answers all the questions. "no" or will not answer anything, his brain will scroll through them in his head and after a while (7-14 days) you will be able to return to the conversation, but with others questions:
What can I do to make you feel loved and important?
How can I show you that you are not alone?
What activities are you interested in, but you do not see the possibility of implementing them?
The child will continue to resist, and most likely you will not get clear answers, but these questions you make him think about what the real world is and he is offered help and support.
After 7-14 days, ask again questions, but more clarifying and motivating:
You are very important to me and I love you, let's discuss together what would you like to do?
Maybe try enrolling you in a programming/drawing/dance course? They say that now it is fashionable and maybe it will become your hobby.
It will be great to do something cool, would you like to make friends and do something interesting with them?
The main thing in this matter is patience and understanding. Keep in mind that a child who plays games for a very long time is in the virtual world most of the time and does not understand what to do with his life. Your task as a parent is to provide him with safety, support and participation so that he can connect with reality with confidence and begin to get involved in something other than games.
It is very important to understand that this is a long work, but if you have concerns about this, then go for it. If you show your child that there are things more interesting than games and progressively look for what will captivate him, he will gladly switch, and games will fade into the background.
