Ds2 (14 yo) has had a horrible time in school so far, being bullied in junior school, in his old senior school, and with some bullying since we moved to Scotland, though he does have more friends up here than he had down south.
He is desperate to get Call of Duty6, which is an 18 certificate. Both dh and I are opposed to this, because we feel it is too violent and we are not prepared to let him have it.
In the past, we have let the boys have games with a higher age certificate than their ages, but only when we felt that we were OK with the content. Also they've sometimes played games at other people's houses, and whilst it may be a bit wet of me, I've sometimes let them have games that they have already played, on the basis that you can't unring the bell.
Dh hasn't always been redhot on observing certificates either, so I do know we are on a slightly shaky foundation by refusing this game - though we have never let them have an 18 game or film before.
I have just had ds2 pleading with me in tears to get this game for him. He says that everyone in his year at school has got the game, and that the Neds (not sure what they are, just that they are a big influential group of bullies) have already bullied someone whose parents wouldn't get him the game.
Ds2 says that he will be miserable because he will get bullied by the Neds for not having the game. Also his friends will all be playing it, and chatting to eachother online whilst doing so, and he will be excluded from this because he won't have the game, so his afternoons will be unhappy too.
What would you do - get him the game against your better judgement, or refuse to get the game, uphold your own principles and risk your child getting bullied?