The way children game has changed dramatically in the last few years. Not only do children want to get into gaming at a far younger age, games like Fortnite and Roblox have introduced a much more interactive way for children to game. Gone are the simple days of Sonic, Donkey Kong and Pac Man...Consoles are now more of an online media centre than the ones most of us parents grew up with, which makes for a bit of a safety minefield! We hear so often from parents who book parties with us that they have concerns about letting their child play online, mainly surrounding online chat and content that they do not wish their kids to see. And its not all just about online safety or the content a child can access. They can also spend real and large amounts of money by trading pounds for a virtual currency, so it's important to get this right! The options for parents to restrict and control what their children can see and do on their consoles are not widely publicised by the big brands, and there is a lot of confusion as to how its done. By adding a children's account to the Xbox console, you can control who your child adds as a friend, the content and games they can play, and ensure that they cannot spend money without your knowledge and permission. You can even set up ‘screen time’ limits for how long they can game. To make your Xbox safe for the whole family to enjoy, follow the steps below... If you don’t already have one, you will need a Microsoft account of your own. You can create one easily HERE . Your child will also need an email address in order to create their account for the Xbox. We find it is much easier to log in on a PC, laptop or tablet device for these first steps. To set up a child account you must sign in to your account on a web browser HERE using your Microsoft username and password. Once logged in, click on ‘Family’ , and then select ‘add a family member’ . Next you will be required to verify your age by signing into your Microsoft account. Take a moment to review ‘the legal stuff’ then follow the prompts to enter your payment card details. This will debit £0.50 from your card.Once this process has been completed, you can easily navigate around your child’s account and personalise their settings. This is more easily done on a PC or tablet via the Microsoft website, rather than on the Xbox console itself.