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Avoid Arguments while Getting your Child off Videos and Online Games

July 28, 2020 by Shannon Eidman

If you’re like me, with an adolescent or teen boy in the house, I’d say there’s a good chance you have similar battles over videos and online games. These COVID times have been tough, with activities cancelled and the isolation. So, online game play has been one of their only opportunities for connecting with friends. There have been limits imposed but i’m guilty of allowing far more negotiation in these past weeks than I typically would. I’ve been distracted trying to work from home, and it’s not been a major ordeal if he gets that extra time. But life is getting back to normal, so I thought I would share a few tricks that are working here in my house.

If you know these games, you know how difficult it is to just turn it off. In fairness, most of us would give out a bit if someone tried to turn off our show half-way through. Scheduling can help, but I don’t find it works well in this household. Our schedules vary so much from day to day right now.

Strategies to avoid arguments

On most occasions, I’ll try to make sure he’s not on the games in the lead up to any time-sensitive activities. So if we’re headed out the door in the morning, then there’s no games until we get home.  Or even in the lead up to dinner, I’ll try to make sure he’s transitioned to another activity before dinner. It might be a game together, or even some chores.   

autism transitions

But I also really like to use a visual timer such as the time timer. I’m lucky of course that I have one of these because of the work I do, but there are also plenty of options on the tablet or phone. These are great because they put the control in his hands, and help encourage self-management.

I’ll approach with the timer 10, maybe 15 minutes before I know I need him off. I’ll remind him that the game MUST BE OFF by the time the timer goes off. He knows otherwise I’ll just turn it off. He’s encouraged to get off at the next natural transition (e.g battle ends, next save point), even if there’s still 8 minutes left on the timer. By now, he’s learned that it’s much better to get off with time remaining than to get into another battle and have me turn it off mid-stream. Actually, I’m quite lucky, I’ve not had to turn it off on him, as he’s always done it himself.

In my case, the difficulties are related to videos and online games. But the very same strategies apply to videos, or really any activity. And if you need more tips on how to prevent behavioural difficulties, be sure to visit our learning page. You can view Top Ten Tips for Preventing Behavours that Challenge free for a limited time.

Uncategorized Behaviour support,  online games,  screens,  tantrums,  transitions,  video games,  videos

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Mindfulness and connecting with the present benefits all ages, but it can often be difficult for younger or very busy children to see the benefits. So it's very helpful to find meaningful and playful ways to embed brief moments of mindfulness into the day.

Here's one activity that we find many children enjoy. Have a competition and see who can walk the furthest.
... See MoreSee Less

24 hours ago

Mindfulness and connecting with the present benefits all ages, but it can often be difficult for younger or very busy children to see the benefits. So its very helpful to find meaningful and playful ways to embed brief moments of mindfulness into the day. 

Heres one activity that we find many children enjoy. Have a competition and see who can walk the furthest.
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The holidays are behind us, and we're into the new year. It's been a rocky start so far, and there's certainly plenty that is beyond anyone's immediate control. For some of you, just getting through each day may feel like a monumental success. Others may not feel accomplished unless affecting some bit of change.

There's no one right way to navigate through these tough times, but know that we're still here to help. If you have concerns about your child's development, or are struggling to understand their behaviour, don't hesitate to message or email info@reachchildrens.com to ask about our:

⭐ Early intervention
⭐ Play and social skills
⭐ Parent coaching
⭐ Behaviour Support
⭐ Anxiety support
⭐ Online training
⭐ Life Skills Programmes (toilet training/sleep)
... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

The holidays are behind us, and were into the new year. Its been a rocky start so far, and theres certainly plenty that is beyond anyones immediate control. For some of you, just getting through each day may feel like a monumental success. Others may not feel accomplished unless affecting some bit of change. 

Theres no one right way to navigate through these tough times, but know that were still here to help.  If you have concerns about your childs development, or are struggling to understand their behaviour, dont hesitate to message or email info@reachchildrens.com to ask about our:

⭐ Early intervention
⭐ Play and social skills
⭐ Parent coaching
⭐ Behaviour Support
⭐ Anxiety support
⭐ Online training
⭐ Life Skills Programmes (toilet training/sleep)
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Learn more at www.reachchildrens.com

Some really simple, but useful tips. 💕 ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

Some really simple, but useful tips. 💕
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