to not allow my 8yo DS to play call of duty

[mydoorisalwaysopen]

He thinks I am the most evil mother in the world. A lot of his friends are allowed to play it but I will not give in. So, AIBU?

I have an unhappy relationship with violent PC games.

I naturally balk at them, and yet and write violent crime fiction. In my mind there is a distinction. But is there really, other than generational and prejudice?

My eldest is almost 14 and is not allowed to play cod.

My three elder boys 13, 10 and 8 are really into minecraft at the moment and so are most if their friends. Them not being allowed to play cod hasn't been a problem with friends, they moan ocassionally but having spoken to other parents most children are also not allowed to play 18 games either, what children say and what they do are often very different!

I like a bit of gaming in the evenings, but COD while it isn't the most violent game (I think Resident of Evil takes that honour for me) it is still about getting headshots!

I can't see the attraction of mine craft at all, but by DDs love it.My DSs have played call of duty since they were 7 or 8 I guess.they are all placid easy going chaps.
I think people are bonkers if they don't think children understand the difference between TV/video games and real life.I remember asking my then 2.5 year old if Tweenies was real and getting a pitying reply 'don't be silly,mummy it's just people dressed up'

I just can't see any reason to allow my 9 year old to view very violent material.

None at all.

He is still a little boy in many ways, the innocence will go, of course it will, but I don't see any reason to hurry that process.

Exactly morlojth they grow up quickly enough anyway!

My ds3 is 8 and at times can be quite grown up but is still very much a little boy who likes fairies and fancy dress and Lego and build a bear etc. Why expose them to violence etc when there is no need?

8?!?!?! Im 28 and i've played that games several times

I have to sat when i have a headset on the ones who are swearing the most are the kids.

And i was shocked when i went to blockbusters here to pick up DH's preorder copy once and there was what appeared to be a 10 year old with his dad, his dad buying him the game and no one batted an eye lid :\

Really?

So how do you account for children believing in Father Christmas or faries? Or being frightened by the wolf in Red Riding Hood (or whatever)? Do you think they need medical help (as an adult in a similar situation would be offered)?

What about a child that tells you they've just been or a magical journey with their teddy? Pathological liar? Dilusional attention seeker?

Almost nothing about the way children behave makes sense if you believe they think just like scaled down adults. Perhaps you're just blessed with particularly unimaginative children but most of them aren't like this.

I have seen pictures online of 3 year olds playing COD. No, really.

And I have resisted the urge to post my judgey pants thoughts to the mums that share them on facebook with pride at 'Baby's first headshot' aww how sweet .

YANBU. And as his mum you have a right to say 'I don't care what anyone else's mum lets them do, you, little DS, cannot play call of duty.'

That was to xylem

I wonder if my 7 year old is one of the boys who your son thinks is playing Call of Duty. Certainly he's been home with similar tales of 'everyone plays/watches...'

He gets a firm no. If he pushes, he gets the explanation that I really don't care what his friends do/see/watch - my standards are for him and him alone, and he will not be playing it.

I think the peer pressure is a real issue at the moment. He's just moved into Y3 and it seems far more of an issue now. Also, simultaneously, the lies have ramped up. The boys at school were bragging to DS about going to see Star Trek. One even managed to see it before it was released. They had a list of their best bits and the like, and while I could clearly see that they'd selected them from trailers, DS was feeling really left out. I was really pleased to be able to take him, as a treat, to see it. I listened with as he told me that none of them remembered some of his favourite parts, and eventually they told him they didn't want to talk about it any more.

It's a hard age for them, I think.

Wow - long thread of agreement!

YANBU at all

I had this - I said it was because the boy in question had a father that was never home and a mother who didn't love him enough to do things with him.

If its any kind of a warning, the Call Of Duty player has turned into a nasty little monster with no kind of empathy or understanding of the real life human condition.