To be shocked and think 5 is far too young to own your own DS!

[laweaselmys]

Maybe I'm just being old fashioned. But they cost so much money, and that's before you even get the games etc!

Purely from the money PoV, I was so surprised at how many of the 5 and 6 year old kids I was looking after had today had them.

From a being old-fashioned PoV it seemed so boring that they'd gone away to a different place and they were still playing computer games. I know teenagers do this all the time, but it seemed so unimaginative for five year olds to have to stick to the computer game rules all the time.

On the other hand I met some really sweet kids! I forgot how much energy little kids can have.

[Blu]

My DS has just embarked on computer games fo the first time aged just 7 - and that is because he has been laid up for a couple of months.

I don't thinkthey are bad per se - I love some of the games, like Nintendogs, but I think it is a shame if they become all consuming to the detriment of other kinds of play.

[Flamesparrow]

DD is begging for a DS. The plan is a family one at Christmas.

[laweaselmys]

I certainly don't think DSs are bad in themselves.

I just think 5 is too young to have one, from the money side because it's too much responsibility and because I think it's sad if it cuts into their imaginative play time.

[schneebly]

My DS1 is 5 and I wouldn't let him have one yet because he wouldn't look after it properly! I am not oppsed to games though as many of them are educational but some kids are allowed too much time with them I think. If DS1 had his way he would be on the PC or Wii for hours playing games.

[oopsadaisyangel]

My DS (6) has one that he got for his christmas. He doesn't really play with it that much at home - still preferring to go out on his bike or just play outside but it does come in great use when we go on a long car journey.

[psychomum5]

my DS2 had one for his 6th birthday..........he loves it, but not over doing outdoors stuff. it has been a lifesaver on hospital trips too......not as much of the "are we there yet" song.

DH loves it more tho....

[pagwatch]

my DD got a DS from her big brother for her 5th birthday and was delighted. He bought her a second hand one so it was within the amount he had saved up and he knew she loved having a go on his.
She very rarely plays anything else in terms of electronic or computer games, she watches very little tv but plays outside in the garden, making things (!!!), putting on shows (god help me), reading and other 5 year old stuff.She is extremely active, very fit, highly imaginative and sociable. Why is it a problem?

DS games are as good or bad as anything else.
There is nothing wrong with them as long as a child is active and uses them in moderation.

[Blu]

DP went out and bought one so that he and DS can inter-act in Transformers games.....[eye-rolling emoticon]

[Blu]

DP went out and bought one so that he and DS can inter-act in Transformers games.....[eye-rolling emoticon]

[psychomum5]

oh, and it does not in any way cut into his imaginitive play.

if anything, it kind of enhances it (but then, he has star wars lego game only, and he is a jedi in his playtime too)

as for responsibility.......it helps...he has to ensure he know where it is and to put it away, and if he doesn't, he 'loses it' for a short time. he is learning rapidly to listen to us

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

oh does it really matter? It doesn't really affect you does it?

DS2 had one just before he was 6, he had a game boy at 5 (switched because they stopped making game boy games).

He's played on it quite a lot today because we've been stuck in all day. He'll probably be the same tomorrow (as once again we're stuck in all day). On Saturday when we can get out he'll be out all day.

His younger (3) brother watches him and then they 'play' various games - acting out mario carts or whatever. It's no different than acting out Thomas with the toy trains (which ds3 likes to do) or Ben 10 (which they both also do).

[CoteDAzur]

DD is not yet 3 and now effectively owns my Nintendo DS Lite. It is a very small part of her very varied spectrum of activities. She loves Nintendogs and Sponge Bob, and she is incredibly good at them.

Imho, YABU.

[KatieDD]

My 4 year old had one for her birthday she loves it, they do grow up alot quicker these days.

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

Believe me I would rather be out today, but we can't. And I would rather that ds2 was playing on his DS than watching TV all day - he;d only watch something hideous like Cartoon Network which repeats the same shows so many times even I've seen them. He's actually more interactive with ds3 when he plays with it (as opposed to watching TV) and it annoys ds1 less.

It's just one toy and one form of play (and something that he talks to his friend's about).

[Blandmum]

LOL at the Ben 10, what a shame we didn't get together....ds has Ben 10 top trumps and thanks to the gawd awful weather we had while camping I now know far too much about the properties on XLR8!

ds had one at about 5. It was a godsend in the back of the car.

Today we have gone for a 4 hour bike trail, he had built a den with his sister and is flaked out in fron of the TV.

The DS will allow us to eat out as a family (sound not allowed) in a pleasant way!

[laweaselmys]

I'm not having a go at anyone whose kids have one, I just wanted to know what people think, because I was surprised. Just from seeing them in shops and via advertising, I would've put the DS market at more like 8-12 year olds and then the older 'brain training' market. Not for kids as young as 5. (or 3, either)

Alas, it seems I am just being old fashioned. I suppose in a high tech world it's probably good that they play with things where they can interact very quickly with technology, since that is how they will be doing it for the rest of their life anyway. (something I don't find sad at all)

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

Oh believe me MB if i could have I would had. DS1 started asking me at 7am to go out (he does this by bringing me my new camera - which he swings about madly- shudder). This happened every 5 minutes so in the end I told him we would go for a drive after lunch. Piled the 3 of them in the car. 90 minute drive round Dartmoor, ds2 and ds3 fought for most of it and ds1 started shrieking as soon as I turned around to go home.

I need a frigging valium. Thank god ds2 is on his Ds for 5 minutes.

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

8-12 year olds want things like wii's

[psychomum5]

oooh.....did you know tho (I never did until we had three in the house)....they interact with each other and each of mine 'type and talk' to each other too!

tis helping with DS2's writing skills

[missjennipenni]

My DD got hers when she was 5, and has actually taken better care of it than her 8 year old sister!