Following on from May’s Newsletter and the iHunch. New research shows some children with high video game usage may be at risk of sleep deprivation, obesity and poor cardio health – all linked to poor posture issues. Professor Lea Waters, President of the International Positive Psychology Association and author of The Strength Switch, has refreshing advice on how to motivate a child who doesn’t put effort into anything but video games.

What do they find motivating about the game?
Do some detective work about what your child is finding motivating about the video games. Games allow kids to learn new skills, be challenged, seek to get to the next level and, in some games, be social and be part of a team.

How can you integrate this into other areas of life?
By finding out what they enjoy and what motivates them to play the game, you can create those motivating factors in other areas of the child’s life. When Professor Waters’ kids were younger she created chores around different levels because they liked getting to the next level in their games (it gave them a sense of mastery and achievement).

Build positive relationships.
Show your child that you are interested in their world and that you want to learn more about what they like. This builds up a positive relationship and this may help them to be motivated to do other things with you, aside from video games.

Avoid posture issues in later life.
When your child is using an electronic device try and encourage them to lie on their tummy. This simple solution helps prevent posture problems as it takes pressure off your child’s back muscles and nerves, plus it’s a good compromise!