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what age should kids be introduced to video games?

smnikki's picture

ss is 4 and did not want to play tball yesterday because he wanted to go to his moms and play video games?! Bm the lazy fat azz that she is did nothing...i just dont get it, to me 4 yo is too young to be caring about video games, my children will NOT be playing video games at this age. im sorry but if the kid cant even count to 20, wtf is he doing sitting in front of a tv playing games?

I know that i come from a very strict type of family where education is most important, so my views might be off, i was curious what your thought are!

I just feel like ss is going to turn into a vegetable that has no motives to move past his mothers trailer trash type lifestyle!

Comments

Joy101378's picture

and what IS are two totally different things. SHOULD they be exposed to video games so young? No. But they WILL be. And unless you have full custody of a child and monitor every single thing that child does, they are GOING to play. If not at your house, then at their BM's, friends, and other family members.

To reduce my frustration with "screen time" for SS5, we give him two tickets a day that are worth a half an hour each, and he can spend them on any kind of screens he likes, but that is it. He can even spend tickets from tomorrow, or save up and watch a movie, but we give him the tickets on Sunday for the week, and that is all he gets!

AJsEvilMum's picture

My SD4 plays the V Motion games. They are very educational and gets the kids up and moving. (Characters and remote work by motion control). Just make sure you get the games for their age or it may be hard for them.

BridgingTheGap's picture

I agree with you. Four years old is way too young to be wrapped up in video games and improving scores, etc. But of course, the problem lies not at your home but the BM's house, right?

Its hard to deal with these issues because what is okay at her home is obviously not going to work at yours. Sadly I can't think of anything that will be of much help...

smnikki's picture

its only at bm's house...

we do have a wii and try to get him to do the bowling with us since we live in an apartment and its some what active to play the sports wii, but he wants nothing to do with it.

I feel like shes trying to get ss to not want to spend time with fh and i by letting him play these types of things, and i feel obligated to go out and buy one for our house, but i really dont think its right. I was thinking maybe ill get him that leap frog learning one for him so at least he is getting something out of it...but when we have him we spend pretty much every second he is not sleeping with him!

i just dont understand how a mother who only has her child 50% would rather he sits in front of the tv and doesnt interact with her than spend time with him...if he were older then okay i know at a certain age kids want space, but at 4 when hes with us its a miracle if he is in his room for 10 minutes with out wanting to interact with us.

Crizzle's picture

All our children are allowed to play video games. My BS is 4, my BD is 7 and my SD's are 11 & 14. We buy them educational as well as recreational games, but they aren't allowed to play any until chores, homework & all hygiene is done (as well as any other obligations). Even then, they are only allowed one hour a day. We feel they learn to handle their responsibilities before playing and self-control as well. It took some time getting the smaller ones used to these rules, but it became second nature to them. They now know what is expected and do it without pause.

belleboudeuse's picture

But sadly, our kids live in the real world, and I don't have control.

BB

- You are not second best, you are not second class. Do not ever let anyone make you feel that way. (2Bloved)

HummingBirdHunny's picture

Well I will have to say that if it's a learning game then it shouldn't be a problem. I am on the other side of this topic because when I came into the relationship in summer of 2005 my kids (skids) were 6 and 7 yrs old. My husband would allow them to play video games anytime they wanted as long as school work was finished. After summer was over I was able to get him to change it from anytime as long as school work and chores were done to weekends only. My husband is very big on video games, which is why the kids are also along with today's technology. Another factor to this is if that is all they want to do then maybe just give them a time frame for how long they can play a video game each day! Once that time is up then..they need to find something else to do.

Right now mon-fri my kids have to do chores first, then my son(ss) has to read for 30 minutes...my daughter(SD) has to play her viola for 20 minutes before anything else is done and when it comes to any kind of computer or video games...they can't get on until after lunch! I do try to push them outside during nice weather.

I will give BM credit because she actually will not allow them to play video games at her house, she makes them play outside or if the weather is bad do stuff indoors.

HummingBirdHunny's picture

I guess it would depend on your preferences as to when you feel they should be allowed to play video games if at all. And it may also depend on the child regarding school grades, chores, behavior, manners! Just my opinion!

I hope no one got upset with my last post!

melis070179's picture

My son started at 5 1/2 & quickly became addicted..upside is he rarely watches TV anymore! One evil for another...

"I child proofed my whole house, but they STILL get in!"

smnikki's picture

i was concerned because hes only 4, and he wasnt wanting to play tball, instead go home and play video games. Ive decided im going to win this one with whats good for eveyone! I will be buying him the leapfrog or what ever that learning video game unit is so that he feels like he playing video games, hes learning, i have some time that hes not attached to my hip, and bm isnt the only person that has video games any more!

Rags's picture

and nothing but CRAP! They turn kids in to mindless Vidiot zombiis.

And yes, I MEAN ALL OF THEM! Have you ever hear the narrators on those "educational" vidiot games? They sound like Mr Rogers on CRACK. I swear they are attempting to hypnotize the kids in to a catatonic state where they can be easily manipulated.

Keep your kids away from them at all costs. Put the kid in the back yard with a stick, a thread spool and some twine and tell them to make a Finortin Rod, a left handed aqua spanner, a moderately organic bug transporter or any other imaginative BS you can come up with. Tell them under no circumstances are they to enter the house clean. They had better be dirty, muddy, sweaty, stinky, sticky grunge covered piglets. They will do some amazing things using their own imaginations INSTEAD OF SOMEONE ELSES! And they will be happy.

Just my thoughts of course.

Success is rarely final. Failure is rarely fatal. It is character, courage and consistency of effort that count. Vince Lombardi (with some minor Rags modifications)