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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if parents really let their year 4 dc play these games?

69 replies

purplehandgang · 26/03/2015 12:53

So ds is cross because I won't let him have call of duty type games. All his friends have them apparently. (He can prove it apparently) One 8 year has access to gta too. Am I being too harsh to refuse.

OP posts:
elliejjtiny · 26/03/2015 16:09

My 8 year old in year 4 doesn't play those games. I'd be tempted to ask for his "proof" though, just out of curiosity.

minionmadness · 26/03/2015 16:12

Mine are only in YR2 and some of their classmates are allowed to watch GTA and COD.

It's ok though, according to one mum as they only play it with the sound off!

Ah that's ok then Confused

OrlandoWoolf · 26/03/2015 16:14

I mentioned the word "saw" yesterday in a y5 class. Someone then said he's seen the "Saw" films. I was shocked - but not too surprised. I know the games and films some kids that age watch and play.

DS wants COD and has mentioned GTA. I've told him why he will not get GTA - I still don't think he understands objectification.

I8toys · 26/03/2015 16:48

My 11 year old has COD - he is a August birth and got it just before he started high school. He is only allowed certain 16 rated games - nothing above this. All of his friends have it. My 9 year old has no interest at all in it - some of his friends play it though and also GTA.

FernGullysWoollyPully · 26/03/2015 16:53

No yanb harsh at all. My DS is 7 (yr3) He has classmates who access these types of games and go online to play with other gamers. Horrifies me.

Waiting on the playground once morning, his friends were playing together, I heard one exclaim, I want to be (insert character here) because he has an axe and can chop your f*cking head off! DS asked if he could play too.

I bundled him away sharpish with a face like Angry

BitOutOfPractice · 27/03/2015 07:09

So l8toys we finally have a parent who admits to allowing an 11yo to play COD. What's your thinking behind that? I'm genuinely curious

Sirzy · 27/03/2015 07:12

DS is 5 and would have no idea what those games are let alone any desire to play them!

toptomatoes · 27/03/2015 07:13

My year 3 8-year-old tells me his friends play these games. He has years and years to go before I would even consider letting him play them.

Jennifersrabbit · 27/03/2015 07:21

Not in a month of Sundays for my y4 DS.

Eva50 · 27/03/2015 07:24

Ds1 (19) has COD, GTA and the re

Eva50 · 27/03/2015 07:28

Whoops, and the rest. He knows that if ds3 (8) comes into his room they must be switched off immediately. Ds3 has plants v's zombies, Minecraft and Terraria and that's it. Quite a few of his friends have COD.

Box5883284322679964228 · 27/03/2015 07:30

No they aren't old enough according to the rating.

You will probably realise on further questioning that 'all children play it' means 'a few rough children play it and I want to too'

LadyIsabellaWrotham · 27/03/2015 07:33

I saw a woman in a game shop buying GTAV for her 10(?) yr old recently. Shop assistant spelled out in words of one syllable what the issues were (possibly because he saw me eavesdropping) but she shrugged his advice off - she didn't buy in the end but was clearly going to get it another day. So yeah, loads, but not in my house (although 12 year old DD occasionally watches her DGF play assassins creed on the promise that he will steer clear of dubious missions or any he hasn't played before and screened.

hampsterdam · 27/03/2015 09:47

I know one 7 yo that plays these games and has done since he was 5, part of the problem being he's got an older brother 15 I think and they share a room so he started of just watching them. What the difference that makes I don't know. Other part of the problem being parents that are lazy or stupid or in some cases both. You've got kids of 7 that are not fully toilet trained and don't know how to cross roads safely that are playing 18 games

hampsterdam · 27/03/2015 09:50

Did anyone see 'my violent child' was on channel 5 I think last week. Not saying these games make kids violent to that extent but one of the kids even said himself that x box was part of the problem. So a 9 year old could work that out but the parents couldn't??

differentkindofpenguin · 27/03/2015 09:50

Bloody hell, my 4 year old occasionally plays a Thomas the tank game on his innotab! I find it unbelievable someone would think its ok!

bumbleymummy · 27/03/2015 09:56

Differentkind - year 4 at school not 4 years old. Still too young though IMO!

funnyossity · 27/03/2015 09:58

Lady Isabella:t he game shops are always very clear on age limits ime.

ladydepp · 27/03/2015 10:00

I wouldn't let my 12yo play those games, age ratings are there for a reason. If other parents are idiots and let their kids play and watch violent video games that is their problem. I would also assume many children claim to watch and play things that they haven't. Standard practice for adults as well Smile.

I have a friend who lets her 12 and 8 year old play and watch whatever they want, she just shrugs her shoulders if questioned about it. She also lets them eat whatever crap they want. Luckily our kids don't play together so it's not an issue for mine.

I8toys · 27/03/2015 10:43

My son is at high school. I can see my child's screen from where I sit. I have watched him play Minecraft - killing animals/creepers etc, Plants vs zombies - killing zombies. COD using guns to kill enemies. Watching him play COD - for him its about strategy and beating an enemy. All of his high school friends play it - they come around and discuss strategy.

He is in my home with his friends playing in front of me. This is the limit I have set. He could do it behind my back at his mate's house.

I draw the line at GTA.

My year 4 son - has no interest but does get all excitable when shooting zombies playing plants vs zombies.

BitOutOfPractice · 27/03/2015 10:46

Not very convinced I8toys. You can see the screen? So what? All of his friends play it? So what? He's at high school? So what?

Would you accept all those as excuses if he started smoking?

I8toys · 27/03/2015 10:48

Rough children play it - hilarious. Have you watched House of Cards!!

I8toys · 27/03/2015 10:53

Not interested in convincing anyone. You wanted a view - gave mine.

I believe in an element of freedom and not to make things "taboo". There will be bigger battles to fight as he enters teenagerdom. Smoking, drugs, sex etc. This I have some degree of control over.

hampsterdam · 27/03/2015 11:00

But actually l8 maybe if the boundaries about games and films were strong and enforced, as teens kids would be pushing against that boundary rather than the next thing - drink and drugs. If a 7 year old is playing cod what will they be doing at 10? 14? 16?
You seem to have low expectations of your child.
I think the perception of it being 'rough kids' is right in a lot of cases because it's just lazy parents, to lazy to say no and to lazy to do other stuff with the kid if it wasn't playing these games.

hampsterdam · 27/03/2015 11:01

Too **