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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get DS (4) a DS (nintendo).

35 replies

Ilovethedoctor · 25/03/2011 23:33

For christmas (he will be 5 then).

I have buckled under the pressure. DD (8) and DS both feel like 'the only kids in the world' without one.

OP posts:

FabbyChic · 25/03/2011 23:34

There are lots of game for children of that age to play, it also helps their co-ordination, hand/eye.

poochela · 25/03/2011 23:35

my dd (5) feels same, glad you posted! awaiting respnse......

AgentZigzag · 25/03/2011 23:38

You're a bit too organised for me

Are you saying you're thinking of getting one for them to share?

I would for an 8 YO but not a 5YO - on their own.

If it means the 8 YO 'missing out' and you want to get her one then it'd be hard for your DS to not have a go.

If you're worried they'll become borglike just put some rules down.

I didn't with DD1 as she seems to go through phases of playing/not playing on hers, but we've not got any impressionable 5 YOs around

squeakytoy · 25/03/2011 23:39

My granddaughter has had one since she was 3. Keeps her quiet on plane journeys and long car journeys. The games are educational.

piprabbit · 25/03/2011 23:41

DD loves hers. She started with Peppa Pig games in Reception Year and now plays Professor Layton games with minimal help. We do try and keep a lid on the length of time she spends on it. I'm currently competing against her in a horse riding game, she has better co-ordination than me .

madhattershouse · 25/03/2011 23:44

My twins got theirs for their 4th birthday and loved them. My youngest wanted one so I found a old style ds (not lite) on e-bay and found it to be much more robust for little ones. The main prob is the hinges that can break leaving the top half floppy and very likely to get broken . They say that the dsi is not as bad for that.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 25/03/2011 23:44

I am getting my two one each this Christmas, well, whatever the newest one is, think they will love the bits they can manage now and grow into the rest of the more gadgety bits, they will be 4.3 and 3.1 by then,

maidbloke · 25/03/2011 23:46

YABU thinking about Christmas already.

YANBU buying a 5yo a DS. You can very closely control what he will play on it. As long as you limit his playing hours sensibly then I say go for it.

madhattershouse · 25/03/2011 23:46

babydubs the newest is the 3d version...would stick to a dsi if I were you!

BabyDubsEverywhere · 25/03/2011 23:53

3D sounds ace, (BabyDubs and DH may be borrowing them from time to time)

Christmas is just 374 days away in half hour time!

BabyDubsEverywhere · 25/03/2011 23:54

Do they still have the camera?

hmm

off to google the night away

ousel · 25/03/2011 23:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maidbloke · 26/03/2011 00:03

@BabyDubsEverywhere:

Christmas is just 374 days away in half hour time!

Huh?

BabyDubsEverywhere · 26/03/2011 00:08

Doh! 373 days to go, as you were

QueeferSutherland · 26/03/2011 00:14

I felt very wary of getting DD one when she was 4/5, so she saved up and got her own!

She asked for money for her birthday/xmas and managed to save up. She is nearly 9 and uses it all the time still.

She does want a DSi now, and is trying to flog her DS to DH for £50 towards it.

Danthe4th · 26/03/2011 00:19

babydubs- be careful getting the 3ds for young ones as it may be uncomfortable for their eyes, I thought they were only recommended for age 6 and above and after half hour they can give headaches because of the 3d effect.
I got the dsixl for my boys and agree they are fab.

madhattershouse · 26/03/2011 00:19

Think you mean 273!!

perfumedlife · 26/03/2011 00:23

MIL bought my ds one when he was three and he loves it. Doesn't play it for more than forty minutes a day I would say. He is almost seven, still saves up his pocket money for games.

I think they can be quite educational.

DamselInDisguise · 26/03/2011 00:23

Don't get the 3DS. The 3D display isn't suitable for under 7s.

DollyTwat · 26/03/2011 00:24

I got one for DS1 when he was about 7, he used it a bit but when he went to Junior School he used it alot. Everyone was playing Pokemon and he really used it. DS2 has a second hand one, but as he couldn't read that well when we got it, he hasn't bothered much with it.

I think once a child can read quite well, it comes into it's own, but before then the games are OK but a bit wanky and they know it.

Tryharder · 26/03/2011 00:31

My DS1 (6) nagged and nagged for one for his 6th birthday which we gave him with some games. He's hardly played with it. I keep saying "Don't you want to play with your DS?" and he never wants to.....

A lot of it is peer pressure. DS1 is now saying that he wants a DSi but he doesn't really know what it does - it's just that the older boys at a group he attends all have a DSi.

OP, if you look on eBay, you can pick bog standard DSs up for a song because everyone is upgrading.

Original poster

Ilovethedoctor · 26/03/2011 00:40

Agent - keyboard is playing up so was keeping it short as that post took about ten minutes. Seems to have fixed itself.

I was planning to get them one each of course. DD is in year three and is achieving well so I feel better about that transaction.

My thinking re gaming was that once they could read and write properly we could reassess the situation.

A lovely friend gave us a wii and some games for $50 after DD kept asking to play it at her place. Her son had moved onto xbox and hardly used it.

So it feels like I'm on the slippery slope haha!

DS (4) is rampantly on the issue after playdates at mates places who have DS'.

So far he seems pretty switched on so I'm not too concerned that it will stand in the way of school based learning once I put some rules in place.

I just feel like I've sold myself (sob) to peer pressure. My kids weren't going to have gaming issues ha ha.

I have since realised that that was about me not them and I effectively am ruining their fun if I maintain that stance.

It will be a significant purchase for us and they will have to behave etc, but wow, won't christmas shopping be easy for them!

And yay for the leverage it should provide between now and christmas.

Reccommendations on best loved games for 9yo DD and 5yo DS would be much appreciated to.

Thanks, Ilove.

OP posts:

cantspel · 26/03/2011 00:47

Get a DSI Xl as the screens are 93% bigger and seem more sturdy than the dsi.
It also has 2 camera's with photo editing software so you can manipulate the images, sound recording, pre recorded brain training, Arts Edition and a dictionary facility, a larger more pen like stylus and you can also connect to the internet if you so wish.
It is also a music player and tracks can be stored on an SD card,

cantspel · 26/03/2011 00:57

Best fun games Pokemon, mario, sonic the hedgehog, any of the lego games and then if you want a bit more educational any of the professor Layton, Art Academy or junior brain training (the maths one is quite good)

BabyDubsEverywhere · 26/03/2011 01:15

Didnt know that about the eye thing for the 3d ones...

Probably a dumb question but is thaht the same for movies?

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