GRR @ some peoples children

[simba9003]

yeah, but at 8 years old, I think that there are far better ways of getting hand/eye coordination. like playing baseball or volleyball. both are healthier and get you outside and get you interaction with your friends.

 

you don't want to wake up one day and realize you have no friends!

 

But why would being allowed to have a games console mean that he'd never go outside and have no friends?

 

When I was 8 years old I had an Atari, and I still went out and had lots of friends.

 

Southerngirl, I really wouldn't say that half an hour is too long on a game, I mean, films last longer than that. I'm sure you wouldn't think he's been watching a film for too long when he's about a quarter of the way through it.

[simba9003]

I was watching TV last night and saw an 8 year old kid on George and Mildred, and well, I never actually realised how young they are. Imagining him playing bully did seem as though the game would be a bit inappropriate for him. I know if he was my kid I would feel a bit uncomfortable with him playing it.

 

I still think that thinking half an hour is too long is pretty extreme though, I think kids should at least be allowed to have a couple of hours, they'll still be left with plenty of time to do other things.

[ImThatGirl]

VIDEO GAMES GOOD FOR KIDS? STUDY SAYS YES!

link removed

 

Cut and paste or search Yahoo News "Video Games Good"

 

Southern, I agree with you 100% that this game is not made for an 8 year old. Kudos to you for sticking up to the peer pressure of friends and doing what is right for your son!

 

My son is 6.5 and has had a XBOX since he was 5. I was sort of against it at first. You hear all the jumbo about kids do not need to sit in front of the tv and play games. At that time, I was having a bit of an issue with him listening/cooperating and he wasn't very confident. My mom decided she wanted to get the xbox for him after he played my nephews and loved it. I spoke with a psychologist and he actually suggested it was good for him and to use it as a reward program. We did and it was successful!

 

By playing the xbox, he increased his motor skills, hand eye coordination, reasoning skills, and confidence. I'd debate the subject of games being bad anyday. He used to want to play it all the time but he now rarely plays it. He's more busy with imagination play, sports, school work and visiting friends.

 

I only allow minimal video game time when he goes through spurts of wanting to play. It's never an issue. And - he is only allowed to play games that are rated "E" for Everyone.

[ImThatGirl]

I think another thing to keep in mind is that most kids have downtime where they have the opportunity to watch tv. Video game time replaces tv time at my house.

 

As long as our kids are doing the things they need to, school work, etc., I don't see video game time as harmful.

 

On the other end though, I despise anyone that sits their child in front of the tv (for movies or games) as a babysitter. That is where it becomes harmful.

[jengh]

People are posting about how they played video games all the time when they were younger, watched horror movies when they were younger... but the big difference is how far technology has come since then. I think someone mentioned Atari. The games for Atari versus the games for XBox or PS or whatever are so completely different. I was watching my ex play some game based on Dawn of the Dead (I think it was that movie) and it looked REAL! It freaked me out a bit, I can't imagine how an 8 year old would react. What's popular in games today as opposed to what was 10-15years ago..wow... When I got my first game system (parents thought I was too young for Nintendo, but when Super Nintendo came out, they bit the bullet and got me one), the "cool" games were Mario or Donkey Kong, not schoolkids beating up nerds or those Mafia-type games...

I guess I just don't think it's logical to compare today's games to games 10 years ago... not only because of content but also because of the graphics.

[simba9003]

You hear all the jumbo about kids do not need to sit in front of the tv and play games.

 

What I don't get is why do people say that, I mean, they also come out with crap like playing videogames is antisocial, you're cut off from the world, it's not productive, blah blah freaking blah. But you can apply all these things to sitting there reading a book, something that these people would obviously think is a good thing, or sitting there watching a film, or sitting there listening to music on your headphones.

[simba9003]

I know there's a big difference in the consoles of today vs 20 years ago, but I wasn't talking about them playing games that are aimed at older people, I was talking about them just playing games in their spare time.

 

As for films, yeah, I guess they have better special effects now, but to be honest, there isn't really anything that looks fake in the Nightmare On Elm Street films and a lot of other horror movies that were out in the 80's.

[southerngirl]

Just to clarify he is allowed no more than an hour at a time playing games. As he gets older I may say less and less about it.

 

When I was my sons age, I had a nintendo.

 

Whatever happened to games like Legend of Zelda? I spent hours with my brother playing that game. It made us use our brains to solve problems to make it through each level.

 

Now, if I were to buy my son a playstation game that was similar to that, he would not like it. He wouldnt think it was cool. His favorite games have to involve things far more dramatic.

 

Yes, those that have said he should be able to play what he wants are right to a certain degree. But, that said... At his age I feel it is my job as a mother to give him direction and my hope is that by the time he is a teenager and is free to start making these choices for himself with less and less authority from me that he will make those choices inteligently based on the building blocks I have given him in his formative years.

[simba9003]

Yeah, I agree, it's weird how kids tastes have changed, no one cared about violence in games back in the day, just as long as a game was fun was all that mattered.

[Juliana]

Gotta throw my two cents in: My son has made friends through video games. They are a major shared interest, and an area where he is more than competitive with them. He is asthmatic, and the games are great when he's sick, and still allow him to get together with his friends and talk about something they all enjoy. That said, imo, Grand Theft Auto is insanely too adult for my son, who is 12. My son really got into a game called "Harvest Moon" over the summer that a friend brought over. It's about farming. Yup. My boy likes raising cattle and chickens and horses; that's his idea of exciting. Every kid is different. If you're interested in a game, you should rent it first to see if it plays well. Fable was a huge favourite last year; it asks the player to make moral choices, and the story unfolds accordingly. As far as FPS (First Person Shooter) games go, my son likes Serious Sam. And the original Halo is a great game the whole family played.

 

That's the real benefit, to my mind. We have an x-box, and multiple controllers, and we all sit down and play together. It's fantastic that way. I've actually been able to play Halo with my kids friends, which is neat; I get to be the "cool mom" for a couple of days.

 

Incidentally, my son also reads alot now, which he didn't a few years ago. It think that may be an age thing.

[southerngirl]

Wow thanks for the game ideas Juliana, so these are xbox games? Those sound like ones that my son would like, but we have a playstation.

[jengh]

I LOVE the harvest moon game...my ex got it for me while we were together to keep me entertained while he played his dumb computer games

[annie24]

link removed

 

I just came accross this today. It is a review of the game "Bully."

[southerngirl]

From reading that article its interesting that the makers of 'grand theft auto' also made this game.

 

Looks like a pretty good review though despite all the hype about it. Will remain to be seen how many children are given this new game among their presents this year. My son wont be one of them.

[Helen67]

Well said Southerngirl, will join you there, my 10 year old will also not receive any game which has a 16 on it. The only games in our household are Zelda, Mario's and Harry Potters, basically anything along these lines. There is NO need for violence at their age in games, and I feel very fortunate that my son never asks or whines for such games!

 

I agree with the hand-eye coordination argument, this has been proved beyond a doubt, so don't feel guilty if the time limit goes over the 1 hour.

 

I remember one game but forgotten the name, some military set-up not very violent and more to do with racing the jeeps, but my son borrowed it from his friend on several occasions, and I swear everytime he was finished playing, he turned into the nastiest little boy! I'ts strange how a game can effect the brain enough to cause such a jekyll and hyde syndrome. Needless to say, this game is banned from our house.

 

Oh and by the way...Nobody can beat me at Mario Double Dash, I AM that champion!!!

[simba9003]

Sonic is where it's at.

[southerngirl]

Im the BEST at sonic. I had a sega genasis till it broke and I used to play that or LION KING all the time...

 

Now the thing broke, and its an out of date game system haha

[freedom]

i am sorry but really i dont understand how parents think it is ok to let a kid play games that is out of their age range group.

I have issues with a 10-12yo kid playing halo or any first person shoot bully, stab, blow up etc. I just really dont get it! When i child becomes violent or scared do you parent blame it on the game or yourselves??

 

I am sorry that i come accross negative, but dont parents think it is irrisponsible to let a kid below the reccommended age to view and experience things like these?

[simba9003]

Im the BEST at sonic. I had a sega genasis till it broke and I used to play that or LION KING all the time...

 

Now the thing broke, and its an out of date game system haha

 

You can buy Sonic compilations on the PS2 and Gamecube, you can also get them on the Xbox as well I think.

[simba9003]

i am sorry but really i dont understand how parents think it is ok to let a kid play games that is out of their age range group.

I have issues with a 10-12yo kid playing halo or any first person shoot bully, stab, blow up etc. I just really dont get it! When i child becomes violent or scared do you parent blame it on the game or yourselves??

 

I am sorry that i come accross negative, but dont parents think it is irrisponsible to let a kid below the reccommended age to view and experience things like these?

 

It all depends on the kid though. If he's unstable and there's something wrong with him (which there must be to go out and shoot someone because they saw it in a game or whatever) then you shouldn't let him play violent games, in fact maybe you should take him to a psychiatrist. Otherwise, if he's a normal healthy kid and is quite mature for his age, then I don't think there is a problem with letting him play something like Halo or whatever.

[Juliana]

The thing about videogames is that they are little pixels of light and colour; there is no actual killing involved. Nobody dies. Nothing gets blown up. It's imaginary. My son plays Halo in the same way that little boys have picked up sticks or toy guns and played "War" for years. He is able to differentiate between what is real and what is fantasy. Other games like the later versions of Halo and more realistic ones like GTA I do consider too adult for him, because the settings are either closer to real life, or the backstory builds up a more convincing environment. It's not that I think that those games will induce him to violence -- my son is as non-violent as it gets -- it's that I think he needs to be older to handle that degree of sophistication in the storyline.

[simba9003]

Lol, just got Bully today.

 

Haven't played it yet though.