VIDEO GAMES?? Is it right or wrong??

[Spifflove]

I agree proper diet is important. Also sponge bob deserves special mention. Gangster rap too. Porn downloaders.

Buying your babies can read is an excellent resource. Hooked on phonics for those who need to catch up.

 

[gg706]

My kids do not suffer any effects from playing the video games. They both read well above their grade level. I just feel like it is time spent "checked out" of life. When we got Red Dead Redemption..it was REALLY hard for me to put the controller down when the kids came home from school. It is VERY addictive, best game of all time as far as I am concerned. BUT it was not worth missing time with my kids.

 

[Coupe]

I remember when we taught my dad to play 007 golden eye on the N64! Man that was so much fun!! I would come home and he would joke around , telling me he was gonna beat me in multiplayer. it was great bonding time too!

 

[karajo]

there's always going to be something. at one time "rock 'n roll" music and elvis were the the detriment of our society, dancing, movies, video games there's always going to be something.

the only thing you can do is try and teach your child to be a good person. one that helps, is empathetic, intuitive, thoughtful and creative.

i don't believe in banning anything, but that there is a time and place for all things. you know you child best, if they are getting too carried away by anything, it's time to take a break. only you know what's best for your child.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

well said.

 

[Tomtommom]

Spongebob is NOT welcome in my home, or some of the WEIRD shows on Disney or Nickelodeon. Really, PBS is on several hours a day, but I work from home and sometimes NEED to keep my son occupied. Yeah, I would love to do everything with him, but it's just not possible. I feel better being home with him and have him watch a few hours of quality TV, than shipping him off to some day care farm. I just don't trust others with my son, too much crazy in the world.

PBS has some fantastic shows, I highly recommend it. It's really the only reason I still have cable, all other shows are garbage.. More commercials than anything.

My step-son is 4, he's been living with us full-time for a little over a year. He has changed a lot over this time, but he still has many issues. I am afraid he is exactly the kind of child all the parents here try to avoid. He is very picky, and was raised in his high chair in front of the TV (when his dad was at work, which was A LOT). I actually saw him a few times when he lived with both his parents. At two years old he sat in his high chair for hours, eating stale Pringles from the can. He was sleeping at a different home every night (aunt, grandparents etc.) Mom playing with her cellphone nonstop. And then it's some sort of wonder that he has NO attention span, no discipline, bad attitude, extremely picky eater etc. Whatever toys he had (and still gets for Christmas from her side of the family) is battery operated. It's all sounds and flashing lights. When he plays he sounds like Tarzan, because he needs noise all the time.

Needless to say, we have books, blocks, balls, Duplo, a stick horse, jump rope, crafts materials etc. I have a few battery toys, like one of those music tables, a mini keyboard and this little house with switches and knobs that tells a story (it's morning, turn off the lights and take a bath. Then they have to switch off the light and turn the faucet, then it tells them to have some breakfast etc.)

I have reduced his TV watching a lot, but at his mom's place he has a TV in his room, on all day. It's just background noise to him that he can't do without. I find video games to be more educational than the shows he watches, so he can play an hour of Sonic a few times a week, rather than watch Disney channel (PBS ends at 6pm). It's a tough fight, he adores his mom, like any child would.. but the things they teach him *cringe* I speak no ill of his mom as a person, but I do address some of the issues we come across and teach him the correct way of handling things (She brings a dog to the pound every 3-4 months or so, because they tear the house up/aren't housebroken, just to get a new puppy. We taught him to find a proper home if you MUST rehome your dog, but really, you should think carefully before you get a pet.)

So I can totally understand the hesitation of allowing TV and video games in your home. I wish I was in a situation that I could throw the darn thing out the window *laugh* It broke in December, and I was tempted NOT to get a new one, so we got a used $5 CRT. Oh yes. It's a few inches smaller than the CRT that broke. Fiance still wants a flat screen.. uhm.. maybe some day...

It's a tough thing, to balance the modern (flawed) world, with healthy habits and solid old-fashioned upbringing. I really do think we're seeing an encouraging movement in raising kids though. I have faith in this generation (honestly, texting and driving is the newest form of Darwinism).

 

[maidenwolfx80]

People are too worried about tv or games influencing their kids. I think if you raise your kids to know right from wrong then they will know better. If youspend TIME with your kids then the influence will be from you. My son plays video games and my daughter does not. They both are reading way above their grade levels and make principals honor roll. We also have fun shooting guns and hunting. Now if you want to tell me that shooting guns is bad influence then this will turn this topic totally around. anything that influences your children in a negative way and you as a mother or father do not see this then maybe it is you who need to adjust what you are doing. Maybe put down the phone or ipad or laptop for awhile and spend some time with your children.

 

[Razadia]

I know this thread is from earlier this year, but I had to add in my two cents here. Maybe it can help parents in the long run. Gaming has always had a role in my life because I only ever had my brother (who is 7 years older than me) to play with and he always had games. Back then we didn't have parental controls on games like we do now. Even though I had a vast amount of games to play I still spent most of my time outside. I have an overactive imagination, so I would always come up with stories to act out (pretend or role playing) and I always did it outside. You could always come up with a game or story for them to act out. You could also make chores into a game.

With games these days you can do what my parents never could. I know that the XBox 360 has parental controls (you have to have your own LOCKED account on the console) that you can set to limit what they can see and how much time they can spend playing. Same for the PC. Never let your kids have access to the admin account on a computer or console, either. They could easily change the settings.

WoW is rate for teens and not children because of alcohol use and other things you wouldn't want to expose your kids to. I also wouldn't let them play Guild Wars 1 or 2 for the same reasons. Replace it with Wizards 101 or something similar. It's geared towards kids rather than teens and adults. I'd even dare say Neopets! A lot of the games they have on the site are educational and kinda teaches them how to handle money. Do you really need that paintbrush, or do you need to buy them food? It also has a lot to do with being responsible for a 'living' creature.

If anyone wants to know how to do some of the stuff I mentioned, just let me know and I'll help out.

 

[pattersonml]

Sorry from beating a dead horse, are video games right or wrong. Are they the bane of parenting or a panacea to an overworked parent needing to have something to occupy a child's time with or are they way for families to bond over accomplishments virtually achieved. It can be any of these and many more vices and virtues. I grew up in the digital age, receiving my first atari at 7 years old, I then graduated to the Nintendo and slowly upgraded over the years. I also made sure I spent time outside with my friends, hunting and fishing. My father would take me golfing. We spent the summer days at the city swimming pool (we lived in the deserts of West Texas so no creek worth a name was more than ankle deep.) So in growing up for me, moderation was the key, teaching me that fun indoors and fun outdoors both provided me with the best memories.
Now for chores, I had chores, my sister had chores, my friends had chores... Everyone had chores and if they weren't done, then there was no playtime, just like with homework. I spent my early mornings pulling weeds, taking out the trash, feeding the dogs and making sure they were clean (we had a 120lb basset hound and I weighed about 60lb, don't ask me how I walked him.) Summer times I would spend out picking onions and cantaloupes to learn about earning money, and the local convience store taught me how to spend it real fast since I got paid on Friday, the same day as the new shipment of comic books came in. I would also have to stack the firewood when it was delivered. Chores are not a form of punishment as most kids like to consider them, chores provide an understanding of responsibility which I try to pass on to my children of which I have 5 myself. My children have their chores as do I even as an adult, because the best way to make them understand the importance of it and the need for responsibility is to lead by example.
We also do have game consoles which we have gotten on the cheap, and when we do have the extra money, we do pay for our children to be allowed to play World of Warcraft as my wife and I do as well. We play together and spend time on it sometimes. We also go out to the State Parks for hikes and fishing. I have also worked on instilling my son with a belief in land husbandry and how to work with the land. We hunt and trap together to help put meat on the table and all my children know which end of a hammer to use and how to use a table saw to rip wood for projects, even my oldest daughter, I don't quite yet trust our 9 year old around the power tools.

 

[FowlMouthMama]

Sorry from beating a dead horse, are video games right or wrong. Are they the bane of parenting or a panacea to an overworked parent needing to have something to occupy a child's time with or are they way for families to bond over accomplishments virtually achieved. It can be any of these and many more vices and virtues. I grew up in the digital age, receiving my first atari at 7 years old, I then graduated to the Nintendo and slowly upgraded over the years. I also made sure I spent time outside with my friends, hunting and fishing. My father would take me golfing. We spent the summer days at the city swimming pool (we lived in the deserts of West Texas so no creek worth a name was more than ankle deep.) So in growing up for me, moderation was the key, teaching me that fun indoors and fun outdoors both provided me with the best memories.
Now for chores, I had chores, my sister had chores, my friends had chores... Everyone had chores and if they weren't done, then there was no playtime, just like with homework. I spent my early mornings pulling weeds, taking out the trash, feeding the dogs and making sure they were clean (we had a 120lb basset hound and I weighed about 60lb, don't ask me how I walked him.) Summer times I would spend out picking onions and cantaloupes to learn about earning money, and the local convience store taught me how to spend it real fast since I got paid on Friday, the same day as the new shipment of comic books came in. I would also have to stack the firewood when it was delivered. Chores are not a form of punishment as most kids like to consider them, chores provide an understanding of responsibility which I try to pass on to my children of which I have 5 myself. My children have their chores as do I even as an adult, because the best way to make them understand the importance of it and the need for responsibility is to lead by example.
We also do have game consoles which we have gotten on the cheap, and when we do have the extra money, we do pay for our children to be allowed to play World of Warcraft as my wife and I do as well. We play together and spend time on it sometimes. We also go out to the State Parks for hikes and fishing. I have also worked on instilling my son with a belief in land husbandry and how to work with the land. We hunt and trap together to help put meat on the table and all my children know which end of a hammer to use and how to use a table saw to rip wood for projects, even my oldest daughter, I don't quite yet trust our 9 year old around the power tools.

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