Why are you struggling to encourage your child to practice guitar when there are video games around? 

A lot of parents express to us that they are struggling with their child practicing guitar because they always want to play their video games. 

They are also very lovely parents who feel bad when they take games away from their children. 

While there are other reasons that having boundaries are good for young children. I’m here to talk about why video games themselves specifically are so addictive for children. And why you shouldn’t feel bad that you have to be the one who stops them playing it. 

How To Avoid Going Down The Rabbit Hole

Why can’t they stop playing video games by themselves? 

So many parents want their child to be able to self discipline and have self control over their own video game playing. And they wonder why hours go by. Or why children would negate sleep to be on their game. Maybe even skipping meals. 

When the video game is going on, there are multiple chemical reactions happening from the game. 

From the bright lights helping them to stay alert. 

To the point system that make them artificially feel good about themselves, releasing dopamine into their system. 

Video games also puts them under survival mode, and simulates the fight or flight reaction constantly. 

This artificial simulation is something humans were never designed to endure for long periods of time and especially for kids. 

The reason why it then becomes hard for them to manage their own video game time and stop is because that the area of our brain that controls self control is our pre frontal cortex. 

And while your child is playing video games, their blood rushes towards the back of their brain where the survival mode of their brain is. Neglecting their sensible emotions and thinking in the other areas of their brain. 

Our pre-frontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until 25. So until then, your child doesn’t have full capacity to have self control over their video game playing. 

How do you improve self control? 

Self control is gained by practicing. By your child consider the consequence of doing something vs something else. It means they themselves have to take into consideration what is important for them in the long term, and be able to make decisions in the short term based on it. 

This is why threatening your child will never help them to develop this. It has to be their own choice and decisions that will help them develop this. However, the more video games they do play, the less the front part of their brain will develop. So it’s boundaries and positive encouragement towards activities that promote the understanding of delayed gratification that will help your child’s brain development in the long term. 

practicing guitar is one way of developing self-control, because they are putting in effort and work in now that will pay off in the longer term.  

Now that you know a little more, I hope next time you wonder why your child won’t get off the video game, you know the reasons why it’s so difficult for them. With positive video game boundaries and positive encouragements for other acitivites. Your child will be able to develop their brains positively in multiple areas. 

A guitar school for kids in London, Guitar tuition East London that actually cares about their students development, not just guitar playing or also in themselves. Providing high quality guitar lessons and services to kids and adults. They are driven to constantly improve their own education to bring the best to their students.