Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Video gaming has caused a great deal of stress in my home. I have tried to get my son to limit his time on the games to no avail. I have tried to get him interested in other things but nothing seems to hold his interest like video games.
I am not ready to get rid of the game console completely (that's the final step) because I can see that the games are fun and do allow for some social interaction when his friends come over. For now I just need a means to control the time he can play without me having to resort to shouting and threats to get him to stop.
I checked the manuals of some of the popular game consoles- they all have parental controls for game ratings, internet access, etc., but nothing to limit playing time. After pondering the situation for a little while I realized that since the video game console makers won't make the simple programming changes to allow parents to limit game playing time, I have to take matters into my own hands.
This instructable will show you what I did to give my son his life back and to reduce stress levels in my home by automatically limiting his video game playing time. Construction is very simple and takes about an hour.
I am not ready to get rid of the game console completely (that's the final step) because I can see that the games are fun and do allow for some social interaction when his friends come over. For now I just need a means to control the time he can play without me having to resort to shouting and threats to get him to stop.
I checked the manuals of some of the popular game consoles- they all have parental controls for game ratings, internet access, etc., but nothing to limit playing time. After pondering the situation for a little while I realized that since the video game console makers won't make the simple programming changes to allow parents to limit game playing time, I have to take matters into my own hands.
This instructable will show you what I did to give my son his life back and to reduce stress levels in my home by automatically limiting his video game playing time. Construction is very simple and takes about an hour.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1How does it work?
I used two, seven-day programmable electronic timers to control the TV and the game console power. The timers and the plugs for the TV and the game console are locked inside a steel box so the kid can't simply unplug the cords from the timers and plug them into the wall. The timers have built in battery back-up so messing around with the power cord won't let him change the schedule of the system.
Are there weaknesses? Sure, but I won't point them out in case my son sees this instructable. You can figure them out for yourself easily enough. If my son has the wherewithal to develop counter-measures I will simply come up with some counter-counter-measures. I think an ever-upward spiraling war of technology wouldn't be such a bad thing- at least it would get him thinking about how to solve a problem that means something to him and THAT would be a welcome change from mindlessly twitching his thumbs at images on a TV screen.
Are there weaknesses? Sure, but I won't point them out in case my son sees this instructable. You can figure them out for yourself easily enough. If my son has the wherewithal to develop counter-measures I will simply come up with some counter-counter-measures. I think an ever-upward spiraling war of technology wouldn't be such a bad thing- at least it would get him thinking about how to solve a problem that means something to him and THAT would be a welcome change from mindlessly twitching his thumbs at images on a TV screen.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Absolute amazing :D
I give you the next steep in the future "war" if you son want it.
http://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-44302/l/episode-39-see-bens-coin-operated-xbox360
PD: its from BeenHeck
P.S sorry for my bad english its not my first language
You could turn him into a nerd (liek meh) and create challenges into the system, instead of a war, that give him time to play. Let's say you code a script that has an unlock code. If he were to either brute force or look through the code, he could find it. Then you could per say, have him create a new code for it, or have him hack the hardware. It would be awesome if my parents did that.
Also, not to start a flame war, but for years I have been forced by compatibility issues to run and maintain buggy, security-hole filled Windows computers, so there's no way I'd give MS money for a game system that has been as prone to failure as the X-box has proven to be.
Turning the device on and off will not hurt it, and if it does, so what? If my son knows the timer schedule it is up to him to shut down his game before the power goes dead, or HE will suffer the consequences.
No yelling or screaming required- just consequences...
If u dont believe me look at the stuff I have built
Also, the assumption that 3D Games offer some kind of magical cure.
It may be hard at first, but you'll discover that there are all sorts of fun and interesting things to do that don't involve video games.
It would take any decent programmer 5 minutes to add code to allow parents to limit play to specific times of the day, but it doesn't happen. Who would think to add parental controls for game ratings and web access but not to control the time wasted - oops, I mean spent- playing video games?
Unbelievable!
Once they get addicted to those flashing lights and fast shiny graphics it's all over, it's like trying to get a junkie to quit.
My parents had nice simple rules; if it's nice out go and play, if it was cold or rainy then find something constructive to do, what you're bored I got some chores you can do if you want. Easy, said and done.
Get him into hacking IR remote codes, in an attempt to bypass your security ;-)