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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not let my 6 year old have Terraria (computer game) when all his friends have it?

25 replies

BirminghamCityCentre · 09/03/2015 22:28

So end of last year was all about minecraft. DS wanted it, badly. I said no. All his friends had it. I said no. It appeared on school topic map for spring term (construction topic). I caved and got it on my laptop plus two handbooks as xmas gift. He plays it. He sometimes gets scared of the monsters. We row about when he can play it, a lot, it drive me nuts. His 4 year brother LOVES to watch big bro play and badgers me about it almost as much as the big bro.
Now, the cool kids in class have moved on... minecraft is treated with scorn, it's all about terraria. Commonsense media rates it as suitable for age 11 (vs minecraft age 8). I'm pi**ed off at the fickleness of children and wasted money (minecraft on mac is £18). But, despite the said fickleness, overall I like these other kids and would like to help DS fit, and have common ground. Do I stick to my principles... these games are too old for them and we shouldn't give in to every flipping whim anyway...... or cave for the sake of DS social acceptance?? Peer pressure sucks.

OP posts:
MegBusset · 09/03/2015 22:33

We had a similar dilemma 're: age rating, but actually Terraria is totally fine for 6/7yos (and I am super strict about age ratings). I have no idea why it has such a high age rating. It is a very retro looking platform game with no more violence than Minecraft.

If it's the money that's the issue, make him save up his pocket money to get it

mrsfuzzy · 09/03/2015 22:41

it's a fad,they come and go, you make the choices, you hold the purse strings and you are the adult. can't always have what you want, the parents of these other kids sound a right pain in the dordogne, no doubt there are other parents like yourself quietly seething about the so called trend setting.

Boomf · 09/03/2015 22:44

Oh don't be so miserable! It's not extortionate so if you're ok for money and can afford it then why not? Kids have new fads all the time. I generally get mine what they want - within reason of course - part of being a kid isn't it? Doing what your friends do

RJnomore · 09/03/2015 22:47

If you can afford a mac, you can afford £18 for minecraft without acting like you have had to sell a kidney.

trashcanjunkie · 09/03/2015 22:49

It's nice for them to be able to play with their buddies and terraria is like mine craft in as much as it's not a horrid shooty game. My dc are ten though, and they have their own iPads, so the games are pennies in comparison. I'm happy for them to have as many games on there as they want, the memory isn't the biggest, so that dictates, and I don't ever have grief off them about when they can play on them. They can when I say they can, and that's that. Any arguing with me, nagging or anything like that and I will ban them for up to a week, which can be extended if I feel the need. had to do that a couple of times when we first got them (age 9) and now they are really respectful.

Ilovehamabeads · 09/03/2015 22:57

My DCs (9,6) play both and neither rates terraria. Older dc finds it too tricky! Younger dc still too obsessed with minecraft to give it serious playing time. I have iPad versions though so very little cost for both.
Buy it if you can afford it.

UnikittyInHerBusinessSuit · 09/03/2015 23:01

How much did that copy of Minecraft cost per hour of entertainment? Have you ever taken him to the cinema?

juneybean · 09/03/2015 23:03

Ooo I must be really pathetic, I found parts of Terraria a bit scary and I'm 29!

Sallyingforth · 09/03/2015 23:06

when all his friends have it?

You do realise they are all saying the same to their parents?

ILovePud · 09/03/2015 23:23

I think Sallyingforth raises an important point, my 7 year old tells me that all his friends have call of duty and assassins' creed, he also tells me that they are allowed to stay up until midnight and eat ice-cream for breakfast.

PostOfTheDay · 10/03/2015 00:51

Is the suggested age rating based on how difficult it is to play and the style of play rather than the content?

For example, is it the type of game with long 'distances' between save points? If so, then your DC may get frustrated playing it. That type of frustration is more likely to cause your DC to act up that playing some shooting games iyswim

Original poster
BirminghamCityCentre · 10/03/2015 09:20

ha ha ILovePud, see your point there but this I believe is probably true. One of these boys has his own iPad (age 6) and another has been promised an xbox 360 all for himself if he tidies his room.
Rating is based on difficulty and DS does get quite easily frustrated especially when something is supposed to be fun. I guess this is the equivalent of "it will all end in tears" - maybe I have to let him find out for himself and buy it. But unlike falling off a climbing frame, they will move on to another thing and then we will be back to square one. Humph.
We can afford it, thats not an issue, but when I was little there was a lot we couldn't afford in our house, and I think perhaps I'm carrying the baggage.... seems like a good lesson to not always get what you ask for, especially when mean mother is pretty convinced it's a waste of money and introduces another screen thing to row over, and he's young, and has nightmares about minecraft sometimes....
On the flip side, I was also not one of the cool kids at school and feel that pain for him.

OP posts:
Pantone363 · 10/03/2015 09:22

DS (7) has it. He was obsessed for about two weeks theme went back to minecraft

pictish · 10/03/2015 09:24

My kids all have it. It's a harmless game.

pictish · 10/03/2015 09:25

They are 6, 7 and 13 btw. They all play together.

BertieBotts · 10/03/2015 09:29

DS (6) has it. It does have quite graphic descriptions when your character dies, like "X was impaled through the head" or "X is spread all over the floor", things like that. But the graphics aren't gory.

Ev1lEdna · 10/03/2015 09:34

Mine play both (And I play Terraria with them sometimes). What I find with these games, and this may comfort you somewhat OP, is that my boys go through phases of Minecraft, phases of Terraria but I've found that over the time they have had them they have played a fair bit of both. It has taken them time to get to grips with some of the harder aspects of Terraria but I think that adds to the challenge. They still like to build on Minecraft (and I'm fairly certain its time will come again in your child's school). My youngest is 7 incidentally and he started playing it last year. I think your son be ok and I do think he will play both over the years.

SonnyJimBob · 10/03/2015 09:44

I could have written this for you, except my eldest is 8, his little brother is also 4. Keeping up with these games is driving me a lil bit mad!

notnaice · 10/03/2015 09:52

My kids are not the cool kids and don't want to be. I do think it is important that you help them to not stand out for the wrong reasons. My kids will never be trendsetters fortunately, but I will help them go with trends as long as they are reasonable and not too expensive. In reality they aren't bothered by many, so the one they do want to follow, I'm happy to help with.

PrimalLass · 10/03/2015 09:53

He'll probably come back to Minecraft so it won't be wasted money. My DS is 9.5 and has been playing MC for a few years now. He favourite thing (after all the sport he plays of course Wink) is Skype-ing his best friend (who moved away) while playing Minecraft together. It's lovely to hear them giggling away while 50 miles apart.

He's got Terraria but isn't that bothered about it.

EbwyIsUpTheDuff · 10/03/2015 10:21

my 4 year old "plays" terraria on my fiance's steam account - might be cheaper on pc that way. (He doesn't really know what he's doing with it, nor minecraft but it keeps him happy)

TheNewStatesman · 10/03/2015 12:09

"I generally get mine what they want - within reason of course - part of being a kid isn't it? Doing what your friends do"

I'm beginning to understand why the numbers of children reading for pleasure have decreased so much in the past 10 years, esp. boys.

countessmarkyabitch · 10/03/2015 12:13

Terraria is very educational, my 7 year old is pretty much a geologist now that he's been playing this for months.

I don't buy mine all the games they ask for by any stretch, but I wouldn't quibble about this one.

TeenAndTween · 10/03/2015 12:19

Well you need to practice now regarding peer pressure

  • watching 12 films aged 8
  • watching 15 films aged 10
  • watching 18 films aged 12
  • wanting mobile phone at 7
  • wanting facebook at 10
  • drinking alcohol at 13/14
  • trainers costing zillions of pounds just because

etc

It's just SO UNFAIR stomp.

tabulahrasa · 10/03/2015 12:23

When it's an age rating based on difficulty level rather than unsuitable content - I don't think it is really anything to do with your principles.

It may or may not be too hard for him, but that's not the same as having graphic violence or being GTA.

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