To think there are good things about children gaming on consoles?

[colourdilemma]

I’m struggling with the idea of ds, 9, having an Xbox or similar. But, despite all the bad press for lots of screen time, they must have positives? I’m close to saying yes, but something’s holding me back.

The internet is a dangerous place, before letting them loose you need to know how to keep them safe, how to make sure that only their friends can join how to turn off voice chat. Basic internet safety like no personal details.

Also make sure your payment information is in no way connected to avoid accidental bills. With both xbox and PS4 you can set up a parent account and have child accounts which helps with this kind of thing.

Yeah, they shut up for at least 5 minutes
Seriously though it’s fine with limits on time spent playing. I grew up with a game boy and have both fond memories of playing on that and playing in the woods with my mates.

I think a lot of well meaning parents do their children a disservice not allowing them to utilise technology (such as tablets etc) on principle. Technology is not a bad thing. Much of our daily lives is technology based from banking to even homework.
My then 6 year old was given homework that required researching using google. Surprisingly she knew exactly what to do because apparently they do computer use in school.

Consoles like xboxes are simply today's Lego, Transformers or Barbies.

Is it possible to do minecraft online but without any interaction with other people?

You can play Minecraft offline in single player mode.

With the online version, there are many different servers. You can either join a pre-existing world or you can create your own and only share the details of it with people that you know.

Some online games are very complex and challenging and these are very good for training people to process a lot of incoming data very quickly.I think it helped my dc with NVR in 11+ a lot , being able to spot patterns and relationships very well, and react very quickly.
My youngest is not keen on books and learned to read on Gameboy, since being oldedr they have switched play language to French and increased their exposure to written and spoken French.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them in moderation. We have a console that is in the living room, our ds12 and ds8 both play it and actually I prefer it to iPad games as they are more interactive and sociable (although only the 12 year old joins up with friends online as of yet). We do limit the time they are on it - neither of them will have consoles in their bedrooms for a good while yet as I think it’s much more difficult to limit the time then.

DD 6 has a Nintendo switch. We play Mario kart together or just dance, which is good for getting her active. No online play and I can set a time limit etc on an app. The positives are she enjoys it and we have fun together. Is that not enough?

Rowenas there is a difference between not buying a child a console and never allowing them to use tech or practice their IT skills. My ds doesn’t own a console but is allowed (after checking with us) to use our I pad or the family pc - supervised. Some of his homework is online, and he uses a maths program.
I think the fact that he doesn’t own a console contributes to how much he plays outdoors and how much reading he does.

I'm a teacher and have done masses of research into the effects of computer games on primary aged children as part of my Masters degree in education. Using technology in education was also the topic of my main dissertation.

There are MANY benefits to gaming for young children. I'm not going to go too in depth because I could write pages, but they are highly beneficial used correctly. They build confidence, literacy and numeracy skills, reasoning, problem solving, fine motor skills, reaction times, dexterity and are bloody brilliant for encouraging reluctant readers. There is also a social aspect to them if children are able to play with an adult (sustained shared thinking) or their friends.

Obviously you need to make sure that parental controls are activated and online safety advice is heeded. You don't have to have Xbox friends, you don't have to play online, you don't have to have interaction with other people.

My DD has used an Xbox since she was 3, in particular games like Minecraft and the Portal series. She also enjoys more "play" type Nintendo games like Mario, Animal Crossing and Professor Layton. She was able to use simple coding apps on the iPad at 2. She's now really proficient in age appropriate coding.

ICT is now cross curricular. Children use technology through all aspects of education - I really don't understand those who are reluctant to use iPads, games and other tech with children. It's part of life now. A balance is recommended of course.

As for time spent, start as you mean to go on. My DD9 is allowed an hour screen time a day, as long as all homework and chores are done. On a weekend she is allowed longer, depending on what we are doing as a family. You can get apps that police screen time.

Please ignore those who are dead against it. Gaming is brilliant for children.

Agree with Valerrie There are many benefits to gaming for young kids.

Valerrie completely agree. DS1 learnt an enormous amount about business and larger numbers (more than 10k) by playing gaming simulator 2015 with DH. He’s so comfortable with large numbers aged nearly 6 I’m convinced that it was really beneficial! He can explain what a profit is and what it means to be bankrupt. Would have been really difficult to shoehorn all of that in to normal play and be interesting!

Before anyone jumps on me - yes he does all the other stuff - can swim/climb/ride bikes etc.

My 5 year old got his very own PS4 for Christmas. His reading and hand-eye has come on leaps and bounds in a few short weeks. I also use it as a ‘reward’, so if he’s good at school, does his homework, eats his tea and generally behaves then once his younger brother goes to bed he can have some time with his Dad gaming on age appropriate games. He talks and plays with his adult uncles online too! When used appropriately they are wonderful tools.

Agree with Valerrie. Gaming also teaches them about the internet, how it works, the dangers and benefits, coding. If you're looking at a career in cyber security, or even the military, being a gamer can give you a huge advantage.

We are a gaming family, like someone upthread we have many consoles in the living room. I've gamed since I was about 8, so started on Atari etc.
My Dd games a lot - but all age appropriate. The only exception we'd make is an older rated game that we've played first and discussed as a family if it's suitable.
My Dd is gaining more imagination, team work, hand eye coordination etc and has started coding her own simple games on Scratch Jr. She'd like a career in game design or programming so sits and storyboards ideas. What's not to like about that?
In moderation, with appropriate games and time limits - there should be no problem. If Dd moans, or plays past her time then it's banned for a week.

The hand eye co-ordination thing - surely that's already developed in a 9 year old and surely Lego is the new Lego, not consoles as has been claimed

There is always room for improvement in hand eye coordination, even in adults. Gaming has been shown to improve this in adults and is beginning to be used with the elderly to help with arthritis but also things like memory issues and keeping the brain active.

Why can't a child play with a console and with Lego?

My son found field games like hockey and football were more logical because he was used to playing football games on the tv/computer.

He has played sport for his university.

Bloody awful things, I hate them. Pandora's box - once you've got one, there's no going back. Then he'll want Xbox live, then he'll find bloody fortnite, and then you can kiss goodbye to your sweet little child. He'll be screaming at the screen "kill him kill him". The games are addictive nasty money-pits . They make my kids behave very differently. If I had my time again I'd say NO. I held out till DS1 was 11 and DS2 was 7. I wish I'd never bought the Xbox.

Oh and they kill off any imagination your child might have. Issue a techno ban for a day and they literally don't know what to do with themselves

@Mintychoc1

Actually, research shows that they promote a creative imagination. Certainly with games like Minecraft and Lego Worlds.

My child hasn't changed for the worse since playing computer games.

They aren't addictive if limited and money pits? How? You don't have to buy anything.

What a bizarre post

Also, if I ban tech for a day, my child reads, goes out to play, plays with toys, draws, bakes and does everything else she usually does when not on a screen.

Totally agree MintyChoc! Fortnite is the work of the devil and has turned my ds into one of his minions!

My son's cricket and tennis lessons are just as good for his hand eye coordination, but with the added benefit of him getting physical exercise too.

My daughter does dance and tennis after school and on a weekend. She also games. Both are beneficial.

Fortnite is for age 12 and over. It's a war game that involves shooting, killing and playing online. If you've let your children play it, that's your issue. It's not rocket science.

It doesn’t have to be either or. Many children do both.