to think it sad that such young children are being bought such grown-up presents?

[allIWannaBeForChristmas]

partly brought on by the other thread, but have heard from so many people who are buying their 4/5/6 yo's games consoles/televisions/dvd players and even know of one who has bought her 7 yo a mobile phone.

am I the only one that thinks this is wrong?

So many posters seem to think it's all or nothing. That if you buy a 6 year old a nintendo DS they will never read or draw or play imaginative games again. That's just nonsense.

But why the hurry? Doesn't he have the rest of his life to play with these things? It's not like they have a shortage of other things to do at this age. What will you be buying him when he is 10?

It's not a "hurry", it's just fun. Like I say, one of a myriad of things he likes to do. As for "what will I be buying him when he's 10?" Do you know what, I've no idea, probably something that hasn't even been invented!

A 5 or 6 year old having a games console now doesn't mean that they don't play anything else, doesn't mean that they lose their imaginative play, nor does it mean that they are somehow going to reach a certain age and not have anything to do!

Have to say one very good thing about game stations is that when they've got every other "normal" childs toy thats out there, and there really is nothing else they want/need - there's always a game for the game station

Oh dear, reading all the posts about presents that encourage obesity and sitting on your arse is making me feel horribly guilty, I was planning to buy my son....a book

My DD is 6 and I know a fair few friends have got or are getting a DS, personally I don't want my DD to have one, I have played on a ps and think the games are too addictive for a child of that age to cope with, plus I want her to play with "proper Toys" as long as possible, it won't be long before she may not want dolls etc anymore. She's asked for and getting some sylvanian families stuff and a my model styling head, and a leapfrog globe. She did ask for a My Baby doll and a DS, but she can't have everything and I can't afford everything!

Just wanted to also say that we are now repeatedly being told that teenagers and children are not having enough real sleep, but having junk sleep because of all the electronic equipment in their bedrooms, so is it really wise to let such small children have TVs, wiis etc in their bedroom? We all know now that electronic devices send out radio waves that interfere with our brain ... My DD will never have a TV in her bedroom, if she wants to watch TV, we have one in the lounge!

Well ds is 8, and is about to get his first Games console, a Wii, which isn't quite so passive, and TBH we've bought it cos we would like one too.

Altho' he plays on PC 3 or 4 times a week, his favourite toy has to be lego (we have tons), and he reads insatiably.

BIL asked me if they could gived ds a mobile phone, but I vetoed it, as he isn't old enough, it's just something to break/lose/cause trouble at school with.

My ds has a playstation in his room - my old ps1. He is only 6 and my dp set it up for him. I too wanted my ds to play with "proper toys" for longer. My problem with the playstation is that hours go by while you try to do "just one more level." I had to make myself stop gaming a few years ago, and I think this is partly why I am very wary of my ds starting to play.

But we play games together. So far, I can help him out on the tricky bits. And yes it is high octane visual stuff, even on an an ancient ps1. But we both enjoy it.

And it is true that he now says his other toys are boring. But we do have time out from playstation. I make a point of us doing things together, putting a spin on stuff, like we both write our ideas on paper and put them into a hat and take turns at choosing.

Having said that, what does he want from Santa? He wants a tamagotchi, a tractor, a combine harvester(we live on a farm) and a "machine to make flowers" ( he wants this so that he can give me flowers to put in my garden!!! I was quite overwhelmed.) And that is all he has asked for. Obviously he is getting a few more things, lego, books, daft wee toys....and a fishing rod with kit for some dad and son time, I'll sit and read a book.

I think you have to keep the whole computer games thing in perspective and make rules so that it does not dominate.

Well our family is very sad, no nintendos or computer games allowed, and both my kids have asked for huge wooden dolls houses for xmas which i have just finished painting..

AIBU to think it's really sad that some people just can't seem to help themselves from being so fucking judgemental about how other people choose to do things?

I'm not sad that a child is getting a console/telly/dvd player/mobile for Christmas. If I was inclined to get sad about something at this time of year, it would be about the poor kids who get fuck all!

No, I know what you mean but that's what they seem to really, really want. At least it's something the grownups can play with! I feel badly for the grownups who would love to buy these things for their kids but can't afford it. I am now completely & uterly skint, btw. Maybe I should have held my ground & bought them something much more sensible & much less expensive than that cursed Wii.

Ooh well done for getting your hands on a Wii. I've hardly bought anything for DS this year as we haven't had the money. We've got a Wii though and I know his uncle has bought him a new game

My ds is 14, completely normal, sociable, emotionally intelligent and the rest.

He had a ps when he was 6, and a gameboy when he was 7, followed by various updates on these as he grew older.

They don't appear to have affected him in any particularly bad way. He loved playing them and still does.

I had a childhood of roaming around outside, playing with toys, but do you know what? I wish all these things had been around when I was younger. I am jealous of what is available to kids now.

He now speaks to people all over the world on xbox live, and I am jealous

As a child as soon as I saw Pong on the Atari I was hooked. So it was a crap game but I played and played it. As soon as I had any money I'd buy some sort of game. Once I had a Gameboy my life was complete and I'd play for hours. Moved from there to PC games and Nintento snes and then playstation. I was very much a 'gamer' for most of my childhood but I was also very sporty and competed at a national level in swimming riding running and shooting. I went on to be an artist for game graphics for the PC and then the playstation and then online gaming. (see computer games can get you a career! )

I don't play much now but I certainly believe that gaming can be a part of your childhood without taking away from anything else that you do.

DS is 5 and is completely mad on "brain training" , which my mum has on her DS. He also loves to play it on my laptop, so we've bought him a DS with brain training for Christmas and I know he will love it. He also loves lego, playing games etc and has also asked for the awful choc coin maker and doh nutters game (which we've got him). so we should hve a mix of peace (from the DS) and noise (from us all playing doh nutters!)

I agree that computer games are not bad for children - it depends what they play and how often. DS loves making Mii characters on the Wii and plahying 10 pin bowling. It's also helped him hugely with learning to read. Spends a lot of time outside playing football too, so as long as computer games are just another toy, it's fine. It's when sloppy parenting lets it get out of control that the problems start.

I loved computer games (I was in there right at the beginning) and as I am an only child it was great to have the computer to play against! Would not be happy with shoot em up type games though, as they just seem to be a bit pointless.