To not let my 13 year old get Pokemon go

[NevergetanameIlike]

AIBU to not let my daughter who is 13 get Pokemon go because I think it's pointless and a waste of time and people are being ridiculed for playing it.

It just seems like a silly fad that will blow over.

[NovemberInDailyFailLand]

Our whole family are on it, hehe! I wouldn't have thought of saying no to my 13 year old, either. It's good fun :)

[AnyFucker]

When I was a kid playing hopscotch and 3 balls against the wall was pretty pointless.

I don't see the problem

Rather that than raping and shooting whores for fun.

[cakedup]

Wow, first I've heard of it, my DS is going to flip! He'll love it...obviously if it involves long walks then I would go with him. A fun thing to do together over the summer.....

but I bet it really eats up the mobile data? Doubt I'll have enough as I seem to max out every month anyway.

[BillSykesDog]

There are safety concerns:

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/pokemon-go-uk-launch-ios-app-store-release-safety-privacy-nspcc-a7136596.html%3famp?client=safari#

For me this has been compounded by the fact that locally to me an apparently important Pokemon has appeared in a location (supermarket car park) that would be extremely dangerous for children to visit outside certain hours. The way it's constructed means children are wandering into a space where they could be cornered with no way out, and also not seen or heard by any drivers or pedestrians. It's a bit chilling. I think I would only give it to an older child who was sensible and obeyed curfews.

[DeltaSunrise]

The dc (7 & 5), the dog and I had a 3 hour walk in the pissing down rain yesterday trying to catch Pokémon. We came home soaked through. It was great fun.

On the way to the supermarket this morning we took a detour around the town to all the Pokéstops to get more balls. The cheering coming from the back seat of the car when one popped up was brilliant. It's only 10am and the boys are begging to go for another walk.

YABU, it's fun, exercise and social interaction with friends/family, bonding time, and gives them something to do on the school holidays.

Of course it's a fad but why not let her in on that fad until it dies down. No harm in it.

[RedToothBrush]

It just seems like a silly fad that will blow over.

Pokémon has been going for how many years?

[BertrandRussell]

How can a supermarket car park be dangerous??

[talksensetome]

I let ds download it today, him and dd have been playing together and interacting rather than arguing and bockering so ii is a winner in this house.

[Idiotxit]

Yab a controlling twat

Just no need for this.

[NameChangeMum456]

We're playing together, following the advice to take a buddy. I just walked for an hour this evening without even realising it. I was so busy having fun I was able to ignore my pain for a while. Instead of thinking, this is exercise, my hip and ankle hurt, how much longer, I was thinking, just one more pokemon and then I'll go home. Reached my daily steps and beyond.

I can see us popping off for a few walks this weekend too.

[pensivepolly]

We're in London - my teenagers and their friends have been out rediscovering their city and having an amazing time. Seems like harmless healthy fun to me!

[Idiotxit]

How can a supermarket car park be dangerous??

I used to live near one where unqualified drivers would drive like bloody idiots all over it. That was pretty dangerous.

[Damselindestress]

She's 13! I'd let her have some freedom and pick your battles rather than say no for no reason. I think it's great that Pokemon Go encourages kids to get outside, exercise, explore and socialise. There are much worse things they could be doing. Also saying people are being ridiculed for playing Pokemon Go isn't really a good reason to stop her playing it. Some kids will pick on other kids about anything. I was ridiculed for enjoying reading and learning at school, would you discourage that too? Do you really want to teach your DD to give into peer pressure and give up her interests to fit in?

[BillSykesDog]

The way this supermarket is constructed, it's a square of buildings with a car park in the middle. So all of it is not visible or audible from the main road and it's closed to traffic from about 8pm so totally deserted apart from a few pedestrians. To add to this half of the car park is covered by a second level of car park which creates an almost entirely enclosed area out of sight of anybody not in it with few exits after lock up time where it's dark and easy to get cornered. This is where the Pokemon was. Reports about the Pokemons seem to be spreading like wildfire. If all the local kids know it's there, people who want to pinch smart phones (or worse) will also know there are likely to be kids and teens going to an isolated area where they will be very vulnerable too.

[Littlefluffyclouds81]

My 12 year old, who has ASD and rarely leaves her bedroom if she can help it, sent me this while she was out on her first Pokemon hunt today:

[CaoNiMa]

The main reason for not letting her would be the rather sinister data-mining aspect.

[VimFuego101]

There's far worse things a 13yo could be doing....

[Nibledbyducks]

This 36 year old is loving the "fad", so are all 4 DC's, 17,16,14 and 10 repectively :), (and one of my 41 year old best friends).

[Mabelface]

Don't be such a misery. I'm 46 and I'm enjoying it!

[lalalalyra]

There are safety concerns about loads of things. You've just got to balance up the risks with the maturity of your child and put rules in place accordingly.

DD2 is 13 and has health issues so she's not allowed to go as far on her own as her brother was at 13. She's not allowed out as late as he was unless she has someone with her etc.

It's also a good way of having productive conversations with your kids. DS2 was telling me at bedtime that DS1 had explained to him while they were out that he mustn't go to a certain place himself (a dodgy underpass). It sparked a good conversation with him (8yo) about safety that was a very natural conversation that occurred in a way other than "don't do this and don't do that".

Just take the good bits and make rules accordingly for the bad. I've got 4 children aged 17-8 all with plans for setting alarms at 10am on Saturday morning to go out for a walk. They'd have laughed at me two weeks ago for suggesting it.

[Glastokitty]

God, some people really do their very best to suck the joy out of everything! As long as people are sensible and take reasonable precautions (take a buddy, don't walk off a cliff etc.) it's no more dangerous than any other time when, you know, you go outside walking around! And its fun! I live near a beach which is a pit of a Pokemon hot spot, the amount of people out hunting is amazing, including my mardy exercise averse teenager! I think its great, we're going out for a big walk this afternoon, that hardly ever happened before!

[Spermysextowel]

I got home from work to find DS1 absent. He came in about 18.30 having been out to catch some 'mumble mumble' things. It's one of the few times he's been vertical since his exams finished so I think I'm glad. Will have to get someone to explain it to me I think. I'm

[CharminglyGawky]

But isn't the entire of childhood pretty much one fad after another? I remember; yoyos, go-gos, French skipping ropes, tamagotchis, furbys, baby furbys, jelly aliens in goo that never did have babies... The list goes on and on and they were all fads and they were all pretty much wasting time. At 13 I had a huge collection of rubber bangle things that you had to wear about 20 of in different colours going up your arm, I also remember spending hours playing with my little cousin and helping her with her scoubidous!

There are still threads on here every so often about the toys that posters didn't get as a child and still feel a big disappointed. Mr Frosty is normally the most mentioned thing!

Surely childhood is the time when you can throw yourself into the latest fad with your friends and have a laugh?

[KoalaDownUnder]

I have zero interest, personally.

But I have no idea why you'd begrudge a kid enjoying it?

[minnymoobear]

My 13 year old DS been on it for last 2 days, it's got him off the ps4 and out walking with his brother and cousin- love it!!
I'm looking to download it too as something we can all do together - great to get us all out of the house and exercising