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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have said a firm NO to Minecraft for a 6 year old?

75 replies

Crouchendmumoftwo · 17/03/2014 23:43

My son is constantly begging me to get Minecraft saying all his friends play it, he played it because some friends we met yesterday let their kids play on it and he was obsessively playing in their iPad throughout the day, much to my annoyance. My husband is saying we can limit his use and get him to do tasks to earn time on it. I'd rather not and I dont want him constantly nagging to go on it. I feel his time should be spent elsewhere and not glued to Minecraft. Am I being unreasonable, my son and husband think I am...?

OP posts:

lisad123everybodydancenow · 18/03/2014 07:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cat98 · 18/03/2014 07:28

I'm funny about certain games op but I really think minecraft (in moderation of course) is absolutely fine. As long as it's creative mode not survival mode!
(Ds is 5).
He loves computer games and plays minecraft, also some racing games, and Mario kart/sonic on the wii. He also does loads of activities and has plenty of free play time! As long as they're not in front of a screen for all their free time I think it's fine, provided the games are suitable.

meditrina · 18/03/2014 07:30

Is this a Minecraft question, or is it really "how much screen time do I let my 6yo have?"

Minecraft if fine for 6yos (you can play in various modes and it's easy to be secure).

It's normal for a child whose screen time is usually restricted to go wild when they get their hands on an iPad for the first time.

pinkdelight · 18/03/2014 08:07

YANBU. My DS is six and saw it at his friend's, who has unlimited time to sit glued to it. Obviously we're in the minority, but I'm not in any big rush to have it in our house and I do think it's different to playing a tablet game for 10 mins here and there. His friend seems to be obsessed. I'm big into computers myself so am not like an Amish or something, but I'd rather wait till he's a bit older. Given that his friends' siblings play it into their teens I reckon he's got ages of his life left to devote to Minecraft.

Katinkia · 18/03/2014 08:57

YABU, It's a good game, educational and encourages imagination. Also, if playing with others they can work together and build bigger things.

AfricanExport · 18/03/2014 09:04

YABU

It is a really good game amd he will get far more out of minecraft, both mentally and socially, than he will from Fifa etc..

kim147 · 18/03/2014 09:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HellomynameisIcklePickle · 18/03/2014 09:12

Yabu - computers are the new world.

minouminou · 18/03/2014 09:13

I'm going to be grateful to Minecraft for the rest of my life as it's got our dyslexic DS reading. He's actually reading and I'm welling up as I write this!

I used to play Lego for days on end, or draw for hours. Minecraft is social if you've got your chums online as well, and DS can send messages now (not always coherent, but it's a start).

fuzzpig · 18/03/2014 09:14

Mine don't play minecraft (yet :o) but they do play other games on the iPad. They both have 30 mins a day (which kind of works out as an hour of screen time, because they tend to sit together and watch each other play IYSWIM).

It works really well, and I can only think of a couple of occasions where they've been grumpy about turning it off. I agree with giving time warnings (I usually do ten mins then 5 mins).

I think if you start as you mean to go on, with a set time limit, and as your DH said maybe using it as an incentive ("yes, you can have your minecraft time after you've put your toys away/done your reading book/homework/whatever"), it'll be a lot easier to control than if you let him play unlimited time and suddenly realised "oh crap, he's addicted" and then trying to impose limits.

123Jump · 18/03/2014 09:15

DS2, nearly 7, loves Minecraft.
But iPads/3DS/laptops only allowed after school on a Friday and for 2 hours(ish) on weekend days. This applies to all our kids.
They know that's how it is, and don't ask for them outside these times. So they play outside/with toys etc weekday evenings.

TimeIsAnIllusion · 18/03/2014 09:23

Minecraft is on the national curriculum in Sweden. It is educational IMO too. It is one of the good games out there and I am happy for my kids to play It. My kids vary in age from 5-12 and it's one game they will all play together. They learn from each other and the game is very creative. They recently got the red stone book and are working on switches and stuff now. They also research videos on YouTube how to make and build new things (working lifts etc).
My 12y old did medieval homework recently and needed an example of a village layout so built it in Minecraft and printed off screen shots for her project.

Benby · 18/03/2014 09:25

Hi our dd loves mine craft but when we let her play we set an alarm on the I pod and when it goes off time is up. She is nearly 5 and just does the create parts but loves it and talks about it all the time she even has a creeper teddy thing.
I find the alarm works great she doesn't argue with it but if we're telling her time is up she'd be saying " just one more minute "
Hope that helps

Doshusallie · 18/03/2014 09:28

Mine both play minecraft but the novelty has definitely worn off. I expect it would with your son.

But I don't think you are being unreasonable. He is your son - follow your gut instincts, if you think he would spend hours on it and it would cause a shit storm to get him of it each time, stick to your guns.

BertieBotts · 18/03/2014 09:30

YABU to allow Fifa but not minecraft.

Just limit his time on it - on a console/PC it's more sociable than a tablet anyway because they are able to show you things, you can even join in and play multiplayer.

I also find an alarm works for my 5 year old, better than telling him when the time is up.

BertieBotts · 18/03/2014 09:30

IMO it's no more addictive than any other game :)

kim147 · 18/03/2014 09:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fullerlonger · 18/03/2014 09:33

Minecraft is great. I wish it had been around when I was young. Mine don't have any screen time during the week except in really special circumstances but I don't mind Minecraft and Sims etc at the weekend.

Backtobedlam · 18/03/2014 09:35

I don't think it's any more addictive than other games, it's probably the fact he's not allowed on it that is making him obsess about it even more. Mine don't lose their temper with minecraft in the same way they would on FIFA, as in creative mode you just build, it's not like you win or lose.

Thetallesttower · 18/03/2014 09:40

I think it depends on the child.

My two girls play Minecraft and have been quite obsessed by it over the past two years (so aged 8 and 10 now). At times this has been too much- we have had to set up boundaries around use and even then my oldest gets extremely into any game she's playing (she is now allowed to play on the servers, my 8 year old isn't) and can be quite verbally aggressive when asked to get off- this then results in a threat/actual deprivation of minecraft the next day. Only being asked to get off a computer game would get this response though- which is why I don't like them very much. They also eat their food quickly so they can get back on the game- even if I set a curfew, because that means there's less time for Minecraft.

Yes, they do have friends, go to school, watch TV and read books, but there's no doubt that the Minecraft obsession is a bit much at times, as even if they are not on it (due to my rules) they are thinking about it!

It's more one of mine than the other, one plays in creative and builds nice farms with ponies on them, the other plays warfare type games on the servers- so everyone saying it's creative is only right up to a point, you can choose how you play and not everyone wants to build nice little buildings- as I say, one of mine plays in the other mode or on survival games- there's no blood but they are still basically about who dies last!

I wouldn't say don't use it, but I think some of the replies might relate to younger children, your child is only 6 and I'm sure it would be fine- once they start getting towards adolescence and issues of socialisation/staying in the bedroom occur, I think having too much time on games can be a negative. It is difficult though- how much control should you have over a 10/11 year old's down time? I do set limits on Minecraft otherwise I really think it would take over our lives!

BlueSkySunnyDay · 18/03/2014 09:40

I think its a great game, my creative son builds wonderful worlds on it. They are on xbox live and have entire businessess X has sheep and sells the wool to Y. My son has a hotel all the other boys pay to stay in He also has a building supplies business and an "assistant" who works for him.

There have been arguments - when someone was mining under a hotel and it fell into the hole, but it usually blows over. DS likes to create and some of his friends are the types who like to destroy, he just goes offline when they get on his nerves.

If hes using it as a game to play alone then just set him time limits and stick to them.

fuzzpig · 18/03/2014 09:51

Like Hic we have the "if you strop about coming off, you won't have any time tomorrow" rule. Only had to implement it a few times - reminding them the next day "and WHY aren't you having any iPad time today? " "because I was stroppy when my time was up mummy :(" - they learned pretty quickly. :o

I also agree it depends on the child. Some are more susceptible to getting hooked on things (just like adults) IME.

kim147 · 18/03/2014 09:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KeinBock · 18/03/2014 09:59

Enforcing blanket rules like this is pretty tyrannical, IMO.
Your dc will end up bitterly resenting you if you show so little respect for their feelings.

WilsonFrickett · 18/03/2014 10:11

Mine loves it and yes, is completely obsessed. Our rule is half an hour per night on weeknights, which can be spent either on minecraft or stampy bloody long bloody nose. Weekends are more anything goes but as a pp said, I usually outline exactly what is happening when so as not to be pestered by repeated requests.

It is addictive but it is a great game and it gives him a lot of currency in the playground as he was an early adopter (he has ASD). I also agree ipad/single player only until 10 or 11 - am playing that one by ear.

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