GTA V - How to play GTA V with your kids safely!

Yes, you did read the title of this article right. No, I haven't gone insane. GTA V has been out now for a few weeks and in the Little Gamer house it has dominated as much time as I can put into it. The trouble is with kids being so switched on these days, my eldest soon figured out that something important was happening, because Daddy took a day off work on release day. So naturally, when they got home from school she asked if I liked my new game,  quickly followed by "Can I watch you play it?"

Obviously I would never let her play the game on her own at the tender age of six and I also would not like to expose her to the darker side of the GTA world and all its criminal elements. Having said that, Rockstar are masters of creating beautiful worlds that can be quite idyllic and beautiful. Since GTA IV the simulation of the city is such that if you do not go around causing trouble then trouble doesn't come looking for you. With the careful and responsible playing parents can let their kids see what the fuss is all about without exposing your Little Gamers to the violent and offensive sides of Los Santos and its surrounding countryside.

As always there are strict rules that must be followed when doing this...

1. Volume down: The one thing you cannot change is the language used by some of the cities more colourful citizens. Also, some of the radio stations might not be the best choice for young ears. A lot of the songs feature swearing or the talk sections in between have content not suitable for kids. So sound off to be safe.

2. Stick to safe areas. Los Santos is full of different areas and districts to explore. Some of these are rundown and derelict. Best places would be Vespucci Beach, Del Perro Pier and Mount Chilliad.

3. Friendly Activities: There are plenty of things you can do in GTA V that are friendly for your kids to watch. For example, Betsy-Lou and I have take a walk down the beach, paddling in the water. When we got to the Pier, we rode the Roller Coaster and the Big Wheel. Finally we went further down the coast swimming in the sea all the way, before finally enjoying the night sky and taking some photos across the bay.

The cable car in to the summit of Mount Chillad has also proved fun and the mountain bike ride down, she loved.

4. NO TREVOR EVER! Trevor Phillips is one the most psychotic characters ever created for a video game and some of the random events that happens to him scares me sometimes. Needless to say, as far as your kids are concerned, they should never ever see him. The best characters to play as whilst letting your kids watch is Franklin or Michael.

5. NO CRIME! This one is simple really. Whilst children are watching you play there must be no criminal activity on your part at all. That means no punching random strangers, no stealing cars and no guns.

6. Taxis are your friend: If you can not drive from one side of town to the other without smashing your car to pieces, then maybe take a cab to where you are going. Once in the cab select your destination and skip to it, to avoid cabbie chatter.

So there you have it a complete guide on how to play GTA V in a way that is safe or kids to watch and enjoy. To be perfectly honest after to a couple of times doing this with my Little Gamers, they got bored and just wanted to go back to Disney Infinity, as that is more fun. Oh well, you cant please everyone.