Christmas... sorry it's so early...aibu to get my 4 yr old a gaming console for Christmas? 😬

[Sushi123]

That's pretty much it really...was thinking of Nintendo switch, or preferably something cheaper if anyone has any suggestions...I know pretty much zero about gaming etc

I wouldn’t - at that age it’s just going to be an endless cry of “can you come and do this bit for me... I’ve pressed a button and something’s gone funny”... etc etc

If you feel the need to get them something - go for a second hand Wii with Wii Sports and a couple of games like that - a Switch is completely overkill at that age (and I’m not anti-gaming at all).

I find your comment quite 'blankety' not all parents who allow their children access to electronics are lazy.. Many play together as a family, use electronics for education purposes as well as fun and have strict screen time limits. My 5 year old had weekly homework that HAD to require his access to a tablet and his school even has the children use VR headsets and take park in coding lessons.. Collectively, my children have every console/tablet available. Collectively they also partake in weekly swimming/dancing/football/boxing and musical theatre classes, alongside regular bike rides and family walks. So whilst I agree that parents CAN be lazy with electronics... I disagree that we all are.

I don't think the console will work out the way you're intending using it. Our 4yo plays on our console (we have a PS3 and a Wii) but he needs support and help. Although he might start off playing independently (e.g. Mario Kart, it's pretty easy for him to drive in any direction!), he needs help to start again when he finishes the cup as he can't remember the series of buttons he needs to push (as he can't read well enough).

I have yet to find games for the PS3 or Wii that are truly fully suitable for a 4yo to navigate and play independently. Plenty have a low age rating but that doesn't mean they can actually play them without some help.

I don't let our 4yo play on a console without me, DH or older DD there with him to help. He can however play a variety of age appropriate games on the iPad with very little help and it is a much better entertainment tool when I simply need to get stuff done.

I need to add this though as a few people have said that screens damage a kids imagination. That's not my experience.

My DS is 6 and plays Fortnite Creative Mode. You basically create a whole world and mini games (not shooting). His imagination has ran wild with this. He even made a world so good that Epic games featured it on their Fortnite Europe servers for all the players to play.

He also has his own YouTube channel and edits his own videos. Does an amazing job as well and has alot of subscribers.

His aim is the Fortnite world cup one day. I certainly won't be annoyed if he wins millions of dollars 😂.

(But will reiterate my previous post, it does cause arguments because he would be on it all day every day if he could get away with it.)

Pyperj, my comment was loaded with sarcasm and a large eye-roll in response to the tales of certain doom that will befall my child should he play a console

Have a look at the teenage thread and all the complaints about screen addiction. Have a look at the relationships thread and all these adult men who have gaming addiction.

It is all v well to say that it will be supervised and their brains won’t turn to mush but the very nature of this technology is designed to be addictive (hence why so many of us are on MN or FB for so long).
Build with Lego. And playdoh. Paint with actual paints. It is bollocks that Fortnite sparks their imagination. It does so in a limited 2D way.
It is also much more socially isolating to be on screens and to interact through screens.
Would your 4 year old curl up with a book if he could play a computer game? Would any 4 year old?

@PotolBabu I did. My brother did and my younger sister did... so yes, a four/five/six etc. year olds don’t immediately become a mindless zombie when introduced to video games. As I played (and still do when I can) a lot of Role Play Adventure games my ability to read improved greatly, as did my vocabulary and love for fantasy novels. If I hadn’t played Final Fantasy I wouldn’t have read The Hobbit at the age of 6 or The Lord of the Rings after that. My Grandparents didn’t instil my love of reading, playing adventure video games did.

no way

My children probably got DSs around that age. We are a family of gamers so they would often watch us play or join in.

The 2DS is quite robust and has plenty of age appropriate games. Just because they own them doesn't mean they play on them all the time. Our son is now 7 and understands that it is easy to become addicted to playing games (they even learnt about that in school)

He actually really enjoys playing my old NES and the Wii at Grandma's.

Just because they play games doesn't mean they are going to become naughty and addicted. It's also quite a good bargaining tool for when they are misbehaving, the threat to not play it for a week/month soon sorts them out!

Op - if the 'eye roll' in response to some of these posts, why ask in the first place if you are so pro consoles for 4 year olds

Oh for god's sake. No. You want to turn your four year old into a zombie? Get the kid a box of crayons and some paper.