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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Call of Duty computer game...not happy...

96 replies

becaroo · 05/01/2011 17:09

...went to see my dsis this morning.

Her 2 dc aged 7 and 5 were playing this game.

As I understand its a cert 18 game.

Am pretty appalled at her letting them play it tbh but hey, her house, her rules.

HOWEVER, she has asked ds1 to come for tea after school on monday and I absolutely do not want him playing this game (he is 7)

How do I broach the subject?

I think IABU to object to her kids playing on it tbh but feel its my right to say I dont want my ds1 playing it.

WWYD?

OP posts:

ChickensAreFlyingUnderTheRadar · 06/01/2011 13:55

My DH is extremely strict about games/films, so I don't think it's a man thing tbh.

begonyabampot · 06/01/2011 13:59

Well Moo, luckily we only see family twice a year and husband is usually ok but just sees it differently from me and thinks I'm overreacting. It's hard as they get older making theta change over from childrens TV to more adult. Recently we've started watching Dr Who which they love but find a little scary but it's nice we can now sit as a family and start watching less child orientated programmes. Still getting over my old great aunt taking me to see Jaws when I was 5, can't wait to watch it with the kids though when they are a little older. Now starting to get into the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies.

ProzacTheGiggleFairy · 06/01/2011 14:02

DH has this game but will not play it when dc's are awake. He has explained to them that it is an 18 rated, so it is not suitable for them to see what goes on in it.

scarletbegonia · 06/01/2011 14:09

Why does an 18 rated game have parental controls built in ? Doesn't that make a mockery of the rating system, it's admitting that the ratings are worthless before they've even been decided,

And also shows that by definition the game isn't suitable for under 18s or the controls wouldn't be needed.

Tortoise · 06/01/2011 14:18

My 11yr old wants Call of duty Black ops on Xbox because a lot of his friends play it online and he feels he is missing out but there is no way he is having it. Luckily he understands why but it does feel unfair that other 10/11yr olds are allowed it and he isn't.

Gillybobs · 06/01/2011 14:33

Scarlet the ratings system is for guidance, as I understand it. For example, I dont imagine there are many 16 or 17 year olds who would be disturbed by playing these games, the 18 rating is more to alert purchasers to the likely content of a game. Therefore the point of parental controls is to allow you to use your judgement and say that the general game content is fine for a young teenager if you can filter out the profanity and the more gory scenes. As a previous poster mentioned, it is difficult and challenging when your kids get to this young teen stage and I find the best approach is monitor the content, limit his time on the games console,and make changes if his behavaviour changes. It is unrealistic, imo, to ban them til their 18.

PlanetEarth · 06/01/2011 15:05

I have girls so this isn't an issue for me, but frankly the 'missing out' because all their friends are doing it wouldn't wash with me. OK you want your kids to fit in, but we all have things we wouldn't want them to do (happy slapping, drinking alcohol in the park, whatever) and whether their friends do these things or not is not relevant to me. (For some issues, of course, I'd be saying, Get some new friends!)

But them I'm a meanie and happy to be one .

jackstarb · 06/01/2011 15:12

From the article I linked earlier

According to the research:

".... video gamers show improved skills in vision, attention and certain aspects of cognition. And these skills are not just gaming skills, but real-world skills. They perform better than non-gamers on certain tests of attention, speed, accuracy, vision and multitasking"

LadyBubbaAndBump · 06/01/2011 15:18

Video gaming doesn't have to include age-inappropriate games though jackstarb

fwiw, I love video gaming and am more than happy to kill beasties and baddies when I'm at it, but that doesn't mean I would like my DDs to play those kinds of games until they were of a suitable age.

jackstarb · 06/01/2011 15:53

LadyBubba - I had thought of that. But I expect if you took out all the violence and bad language then it wouldn't have the same appeal.

FWIW I wasn't exactly happy about ds playing COD (or with my inlaws who bought it for him). But thought the article might make those, like me, who've caved to the COD pressure, feel a bit better.

LadyBubbaAndBump · 06/01/2011 16:03

There are loads of games that have fighting elements and no bad language that are more age appropriate and still good fun. Clearly not as fun to a kid/young teen who gets to show off to his/her mates about the words they've learned or who they've obliterated, but then space invaders used to do us fine when we were kids!

Original poster

becaroo · 07/01/2011 10:53

Thanks very much for the advice everyone.

Glad I am not the only one who has issues with this game for under 18s.

I knew a woman who let her child watch cert 12/15 films when he was 4

What can you do? sigh.

OP posts:

mippy · 07/01/2011 12:16

My OH worked in a games shop. Many people don't understand the rating system and don't believe it's the same as that given to films - he often took the time to explain to people that an 18-rated game is not age appropriate for a young child.

Games are much more realistic and often quite frightening than they were, say, 10 years ago (I have to see game footage at work and am often surprised at how graphic they can be) and ratings are given to them for a good reason. As with films, an 18 can mean different things (I can think of 15 and 18 rated films that might be suitable for a mature younger teenager, and ones which are not particularly violent or sexual but I would never wish to watch again - Requiem For A Dream, anyone?) and you have to use your judgement, but would people let an under-5 watch, say, The Walking Dead?

mippy · 07/01/2011 12:17

If they like zombies, get them Plants Vs Zombies. Problem solving AND on the right side of horror!

whoknowswhatthefutureholds · 07/01/2011 12:31

I have friends that do this, and let young ones watch 12/15 under age. I think it is in some misguided belief that they will then be considered a cool parent.

Kids don't want their parents to let them do everything really, they want to be happy and safe, and that includes in their imagination.

Original poster

becaroo · 07/01/2011 17:01

hmmm..thats an interesting point who

I dont want to be a "cool parent". I want to be a responsible one!

Luckily for me I havent been "cool" since the late 1980s and it was only for 1 summer

OP posts:

LadyBubbaAndBump · 07/01/2011 18:08

lol @ becaroo

Not sure anything in the late 80s could be considered cool! :o

Original poster

becaroo · 07/01/2011 18:35

@ lady

I will have you know I was the proud owner of a red jumpsuit with matching plastic chunky jewellery AND a corkscrew perm!

So there!

OP posts:

LadyBubbaAndBump · 07/01/2011 19:15

ah, now you didn't mention that it was a red jumpsuit. That must have been cool! >>stifles giggles but glad that nobody on here saw me with my favourite loose-knit royal blue and black diamond batwing jumper

Original poster

becaroo · 07/01/2011 19:19

ooohh, bat wing jumpers!!!! sigh...

I also had a ra-ra dress! yes, dress!!

No wonder no boys wanted to kiss me

OP posts:

LadyBubbaAndBump · 07/01/2011 19:20

OMG I'd forgotten ra-ra skirts!! I had a turquoise and white spotty one. Think I wore it with red leg warmers. Mmmmmmmmmh :)

Original poster

becaroo · 07/01/2011 19:21

I never had any leg warmers. Its my secret sorrow

Pixie boots!!!! Chortle

OP posts:

LadyBubbaAndBump · 07/01/2011 19:21

Think we must be similar ages.

Did you ever have one of those mahoosive black elastic belts? Literally 10 inches thick. Blinking uncomfortable but, Oh So Cool!! :o

xstitch · 07/01/2011 19:28

Oh lady that sounds like my old wardrobe . I have given my age away on a lot of threads today.

I'm all for a little flexibility on age ratings for computer games but that would be considering letting someone slightly younger. eg I know an 11 yr old who is allowed to play 12 rated games and I may let dd play 7 rated games before she turns 7.

You are so NBU though such a big difference between a 7 yr old and an 18 yr old. He is your 7 yr old so only you can make the decision.

Original poster

becaroo · 08/01/2011 11:15

I had 2!!!!! White and black with HUGE buckles I also sported a chris waddle type mullet at that point too.

Happy days

OP posts:

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