Technology is What You Make of It
Life is what you make of it, right? Glass half empty or half full. Lemons, lemonade…all of that good stuff.
But it’s true. Everything in life is about perspective and how you view things, or incorporate them into your life. Technology is no exception.
Technology can get a bad rap sometimes, especially when it comes to kids and video games. But as parents it’s our responsibility to monitor what our kids are consuming; there’s plenty for them to enjoy without allowing them to use violent first-person shooter games (I don’t, for the record). I do my best to keep our video games clean and fun and wholesome and whenever possible, educational. I don’t want to stress over what my kids are doing in their free time.
Xbox’s parental controls are super easy to navigate. Just go to Settings, select Family, and hit On to turn on Console Safety. Easy peasy from there…follow the prompts and you’re all set.
What do these parental controls do? Glad you asked! They allow you to limit not only games by ratings, but also what TV shows and films are viewable. If you want to exempt a particular game for some reason, you can even do that as well. Another feature I LOVE is being able to set a timer that limits the amount the console can be used every day (or every week). Xbox Live can also be controlled…it’s just all full of parental control win!
This way I know my kids can enjoy the Xbox without me having to constantly monitor and patrol what they are doing. Mama can work, boys can play, family is happy.
What kind of games to my boys like to play? Well, my two oldest boys love Madden. Madden was the reason we had our fist video game system years ago, I wanted them to help role play the fundamentals of the sport and have a more visual layout of the field. It really helped their playing! Now the littles are getting in on the action.
Check out some of their fave games below. :)
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Here, kitty kitty!
Kids embrace their wild side with Kinectimals and have a Bengal tiger cub as a furry buddy.
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Joy ride!
The boys love going for a joy ride with this game. The sound effects alone are entertaining. :)
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Wild thing!
Kids learn about wild animals, the environment, and what naturalists do. Sneaking in some learning with this Nat Geo game!
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We really love...
...the track & field games in this one- the kids race and do the hurdles. And the discus throw is hilarious.
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Football camp in a video game!?
Yup, pretty much! My boys learned a ton with this game.
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No one can resist...
...Angry Birds!
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Xbox looks fun. We have a wii but my guys are still young to really get into it yet. They’re learning though. Xbox may be our next thing. I am not a huge video game person but when you’re trapped in the house because its too cold, too windy and too wet….they’re an excellent energy burner.
What a bunch of cuties!
I didn’t realize there were these parental controls. Thanks!