Are Your Kids Addicted to Gambling?
Placing bets is what a lot of kids are doing now at school. Researchers agree that more than 90 percent of compulsive gamblers started when they were around the age 14. They age limit however, has started to drop. Now they begin as young as 9 or 10. The problem begins with the parents who feel that gambling is just a harmless diversion, and the consequences are not that serious. The most popular form of gambling in school is sports. Many fail to realize that the same addictions that can occur with alcohol or drugs can also occur with gambling.�¯�¿�½
Believe it or not many are introduced to gambling through their churches, such as with bingo, lotteries, and so on. Gambling brings out one of the worst qualities in humans which are greed. Parents must start early and teach their children that any form of gambling is wrong. It can pose some very real dangers to kids. For example what starts as a simple game can easily turn in to a compulsion. This can lead to violence, extortion and even theft. What about the computer games online that tries to lure kids. A large number of these are slot machines and card games where you must fist place a bet in order to play. Is this harmless fun?
Even lotteries and sweepstakes can become addicting. The prizes can be very tempting, such as the large cash prizes. Especially since many people have low incomes, and the cost of living continues to rise. The best way to protect your child from gambling is to not let it begin. You should closely monitor what your child is doing at all times. I realize this is a very difficult thing to do especially with teenagers, but isn’t it worth the extra effort. Many kids will follow your own example. So if you are always talking about getting your lotto ticket or entering the latest sweepstakes you can only expect your children to do the same. You must also realize that many children use gambling as a way to vent. Lots of kids are under a lot of stress today from school and other problems. This may seem to them to be a good way to get rid of some of this stress.
If your child is already addicted to gambling there will need to be drastic changes in the lifestyle in order to fix this problem. Many young children are so focused on becoming the next millionaire, especially when they see that their parent constantly have to struggle to get things. Of course at first their intentions may be good. They may just want to help their parents out by earning a little extra money. But once they experience the feeling of winning, they will become hooked. They will see how easy it is to get a lump sum of money.�¯�¿�½
Just remember it is up to you as the parent to determine what shapes your child’s future. Even just by enrolling them in other activities can keep them away from participating in something so potentially harmful. There are some children who are just so bored they figure gambling can be a good hobby for them. But if you help them find something that they enjoy and are good at while they are young, then they will be less likely to get hooked on gambling.
