Advice for parents and carers - Games Consoles
This week's blog is taken from the UK Safer Internet Centre, who offer advice and guidance on a wide range of Online Safety related topics. It is well worth taking a look at their website: https://saferinternet.org.uk/
How to start a conversation with your child about gaming safely: Why do you want to get a games console? Whilst deciding if it is time for your child to have their first games console can be a great opportunity to find out what your child expects to use it for. This could be for playing online, playing with siblings or friends, or for playing by themselves. What do you like about your games console? What is your favourite game? If your child already has a games console, you can ask them about their favourite things to play, you can ask them to teach you to play the game and explore the ways to report and block players or content whilst playing together. What game do you really want to play? When talking about games your child wants to play, you can take a moment to discuss age ratings and what different content is available on different games. This can be a good opportunity to discuss your expectations around the games that your child can and can’t play. How do young people your age use their games console? Learning about the way that young people are using devices and games can give you a insight into wh yyour child may want a new game or console. How can we as a family help you to manage the time you spend gaming? Can we do anything to help you use the games console more safely? Finding out how your child wants to be supported whilst online is a great way to open up wider conversations around online safety and the issues young people may face whilst gaming. You can also look at establishing a family agreement to manage your families time online. What would you do if something worrying or upsetting happened on your games console? Tell your child what they should do if something goes wrong while using it. This could be to close the screen and tell an adult. See below for conversation starter ideas.
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For further information, including FAQs about games consoles, please visit: https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers/games-consoles
