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Children find video games very visually attractive and entertaining. Children with ADHD are especially attractive to them, especially if they are not particularly interested with sports or other after-school activities. Playing video game can be a convincing replacement for social interaction, especially if the game involves interactive with fellow gamers. In some instances (especially when enjoyed in moderation), video games can be informative, educational, and improve one's hand-eye coordination.

However, video game addiction can be very detrimental to a person's development. Even more so if the child who has video game addiction also has ADHD. The addiction can be made even worse when parents turn to video games to somehow "babysit" their children especially during summer when school's out. ADHD kids tend to hyperfocus on video games as a way to compensate for their inability to focus on some things in the real world. ADHD children can be As a result, the effects of video game addiction can be more debilitating on children with ADHD than on children without ADHD.

Here are a few tips that can help you curb your ADHD child's appetite for video games before it gets out of hand:

• Limit access to video games - Children with ADHD usually don't have the capability to self-regulate, especially when they are hyperfocusing on an activity. It would be best to put gaming consoles in a common area rather than let your child keep it in his/her room. It's also best to take away the controller and only give it to your child during times when he/she is allowed to play. If you have a computer, place the computer in a spot that's not concealed and where you can supervise your child's use of the computer and the sites that he/she visits.


• Set a time for playing and stick to it - Like most other activities, you can structure the time that your child spends on video games. Talk about the length of time allowed for games beforehand and remind your child about this before you hand the game controller to him/her. If possible, involve your child on deciding how long he/she can play. Keep track of the time because at first, your child will not be able to do this by him/herself. If your child is only allowed to play after he/she is done with his/her chores and homework, make sure that this rule is enforced consistently at all times.


• Be involved in selecting games for your child - Even if you're not interested on video games, it pays to pay attention to what your child is playing. Read reviews about games, find out what the rating of the game is, and make sure that your child only plays age-appropriate games.

With constant and consistent effort, you'll be able to help your child set self-regulating techniques in order to keep this fascination for video games at a healthy level.