Before the First Loot Box

Have the money conversation, and set the controls, before your child plays a game with a shop in it.

A two-minute read, three things to try, for ages 7 to 13.

Where to start

Turn off in-game purchases, or set a limit, before your child starts.
Explain that coins and gems are real money, and small amounts add up.
Agree the house rule: “We don’t buy mystery boxes.”

The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.

Sources

Internet Matters, In-game spending; GOV.UK, Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games (2022)

It goes with

Your Child’s Online World. For parents who have seen something on their child’s phone that they can’t unsee.
Screen Time. For parents who have lost the argument about screen hours, and suspect it was never quite the right argument to have.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

Gaming. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Online safety. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.

The rest of the library

The Parent Book is a library written by therapists: chapters on the situations parents bring to our therapy rooms most often, quick tips for tonight, things to do together, and every sheet to print. One subscription opens all of it, from the day you join.

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If you need help right now

If you or your child is in immediate danger: 999 · Go to your nearest A&E · 24/7.
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If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk: NSPCC Helpline · 0808 800 5000 · Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. · email help@nspcc.org.uk · www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/our-services/nspcc-helpline · If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
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If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.