Hobbies And Interests
Board Games for Two Players
Playing games together is a way to learn to follow rules. Choose board games that are for two players. This helps to focus the attention on turn-taking. The aim is to promote understanding that people need to take turns, and you must wait for your turn. This may seem like a relatively easy rule to follow, yet violent outbursts may be a sign of lack of patience and insistence to have things go your way. Encourage your child to participate and reward positive behavior. Try to play for a short time and frequently, instead of a long session. It is easier to keep calm for a short period. Time playing the game can gradually increase.
Board Games for Several Players
Board games for more than two players are challenging. Look for board games where everyone can play along to the end. Being eliminated from a game is an emotional experience that may trigger a violent outburst. It takes self-control to handle emotions when you have to leave a game. By avoiding games with a clear and obvious winner, you encourage your child to participate. Children who exhibit violent behaviors could lack communication skills, and interaction is an educational experience that promotes the development of language skills.
Good Behavior Games
Behavior games promote understanding of the consequences of good behavior. Look for games that use token systems to reward behavior, and time-out to discourage less suitable behavior. You can find these games in specialist game shops or online. Games such as the "Berenstain Bears" game can help a child reflect on how he wants to be treated. In that game, a child answers questions about how friends would behave toward one another in a variety of situations. The game includes multiple-choice questions and acting out the answers or using real life examples to help the bears arrange a picnic. Online games with the Berenstain Bears can be found at Funny Games (funnygames.co.uk). These games teach the importance and benefits of helping other people.
Games with Feelings
Understanding your feelings and being capable of expressing your feelings is important to reduce violent behavior and promote the development of calm behavior. Online games can help a child identify feelings and increase her emotional vocabulary. On Kid Vision (kidvision.org), she can play the "Dealing with Feelings" games. In "How Do You Feel Today?" she can create facial expressions by using the mouse to drag facial features to a big face. "Know Your Feeling" is a guessing game. She can guess the name of a feeling and type in the word by clicking on letters on a keyboard. If she clicks on the wrong letter, features of the face appear, and the game is over if the face is completed with a frown. In "Tic Tac Feelings" faces are used instead of the traditional X's and O's. The aim is to get three faces in a row.