At gamesloX, we, as parents, have been trying for some time to control the amount of time that our children, nephews, nieces and grandchildren spend on their gaming machines. As the hardware and software have become more and more sophisticated, it has become even more of a challenge to find a way of limiting the amount of time they spend at the games console. As detailed on our Home Page, researchers into the effects of prolonged gaming have arrived at the conclusion that it can have some seriously negative developmental effects on children and young people.

 After many attempts to come up with a solution, with limited success, we finally came up with the idea of the gamesloX box - a way of controlling your child's gaming activity, whilst at the same time allowing them to discipline themselves to spend more time away from the console.

The theory behind the gamesloX box is simple - children like to please their parents and also enjoy the freedom to show that they can act responsibly. But they are, after all, still children and they often need to be prompted to take on the responsibility for their gaming. Therefore, the gamesloX box is designed to give help them to develop this responsibility, with an easy prompting system to act as a reminder (to you and them!) that their time at with the game controllers in their hands is limited.

To get to use their games consoles, children need to earn the right to do so, through their good behaviour. Their progress towards earning the key to the gamesloX box ca be mapped on the simple illustrated fridge magnet shown here.

The gamesloX box itself has been specially designed to house the controllers of all major gaming consoles. The controls can be kept safely locked inside the box until you are happy to let your child spend some time on his gaming system. You can then open the box with your key and release the controls. The amount of time that you give to your child is a matter for your judgment but you may wish to use the reward system that we have devised, or something similar, to decide how often and for how long the controls are unlocked. Of course, time can fly by quickly when your child is engrossed in a favourite game, so the gamesloX box comes with two electronic timers. One remains with the box whilst your child is gaming. The other comes with you. Your child knows, when the alarm in the timer sounds, that it's time to stop. He or she also know that you know it's time to stop! As an additional incentive, reminder cards come with the box, to prompt  your child that there are other things that need to be done once the gaming is done.

Our personal experience has shown us that this combination of giving your children the responsibility for placing disciplines around their gaming time, whilst retaining the overall control, is the parental strategy that is the most likely  to ensure that you control the games - and not the other way round!!!