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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

265 replies

allIWannaBeForChristmas · 18/12/2007 11:49

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?

OP posts:
WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 18/12/2007 15:52

Yes why do children have tv/dvd's in there rooms? my friends son has had one sice he was 2 why?

walkinginawinterBundleland · 18/12/2007 15:53

snort @ chess

dds (7 and 4) atm like:

dad's disco (genesis, sister sledge, 10cc)
in the night garden on dvd
dressing up
playing school

am about to corrupt them with a ds lite and a leapster

TheIceQueen · 18/12/2007 15:54

Where did I say that parents who don't buy there children game stations are Victorian?

I simply said that harking back to our own childhood where certain toys were "normal" doesn't mean that sticking with those simple toys from 20,30,40yrs ago is the right thing to do or that "modern" ones (I'm not just talking gamestations, I'm talking about a lot of these electronic gadgets that people are so adverse to children having).

When I was 4yrs old (24yrs ago) - we didn't own a TV (at all), or have a mobile phone (probably because they didn't exist LOL), although we were very "modern" as we had a BBC Microcomputer (which my dad finally agreed to pay with just 2 1/2yrs ago ).

Sadly that was as advanced as my dad ever got (until the late 90's) because they never made any attempt to see that times were a changing.

My middle DS is 4yrs old, we have 2 TV's (one hooked up just for their PS2 in their bedroom), 3 mobile phones and one (very old and needs replacing) PC - which incidently is also upstairs - which means even them playing "educational games" on it involves them being on their own......

What does "letting a child be a child" mean NOW - not 20,30,40yrs ago????

And you know what - in 30yrs time our children will be sat discussing the same thing saying "I can't believe that children this young have x,y,z" when I was little we "only" had PS3's and Wii's [frgin]

manchita · 18/12/2007 15:55

Lapin- you may not steal my expression.
And waht the hell is a snurk? That's crazytalk!

TheHollyandMcDreamy · 18/12/2007 15:56

Nearly bought one the other day, they had them in the Naafi - I held one, slightly cheaper than UK prices too, and I put it down because I thought the children were too young - didn't think about me at the time. I am

lazawreath · 18/12/2007 15:58

Well, ds1 will be getting a lump of coal and he'll be glad of it i tell thee

manchita · 18/12/2007 15:58

My own childhood was not quite victorian and we did have video games then-supermario and that table tennis one you played on the tv but I didn't have them until I was older

manchita · 18/12/2007 15:59

But just because something is modern doesn't make it desirable or mean they have to have it

lazawreath · 18/12/2007 16:00

Actually, ive bought the ds's a couple of those hoola hoops, not crisps, the ones you put round your waist, and i bought a bigger one for me cos i just love them.

TenLordsaLapin · 18/12/2007 16:00

McDreamy - buy it for the children?! That's crazytalk!

Get it for yourself. I'm justifying it by getting a dance game - it's exercise you know!

TheIceQueen · 18/12/2007 16:01

manchita - I'm sure parents said that when we were younger about toys that even the "strictest" MN parents wouldn't even flinch at now.....

krang · 18/12/2007 16:02

If someone can explain to me convincingly why my family sitting around having a laugh playing computer games is bad, I promise to throw my laptop in the bin. And take a photo.

Also, isn't it rather idiotic to slag off computers on...er...an internet forum? I'd get that corrupting influence out of my house quicksmart if I hated electronics as much as some people seem to. Why aren't you ladies content with being penpals? Good luck explaining to your kids why it's absolutely fine for you to spend hours at the PC but it's not fine for them.

lazawreath · 18/12/2007 16:04

Krang, that would be the same reason it's ok for mothers at toddler groups to stuff their faces full of chocolate cake while the children get a bit of dust to chew on. Full of nutrients is dust, fact.

Myrrhcy · 18/12/2007 16:05

Agree with Olive. It's the cost of some of these presents that I amazes me.

(apart from the fact I don't really know what a nintendo is, a wii or any of these games really)

anniemac · 18/12/2007 16:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

XAliceInWonderlandX · 18/12/2007 16:07

ds may get a camera as someone said earlier he uses my phone and does enjoy taking pictures

books and a magnet theater

if any done up

anniemac · 18/12/2007 16:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AwayInAMunker · 18/12/2007 16:08

I've bought DS1 a simple digital camera (£30 one, a real one, not a kid version which are more expensive and shite).

Is this "wrong" and "sad"? He's 3.8 and takes good photos with mine already, but it's mine!

(We also have a Wii, but that's mine He knows not of its existence and hasn't asked what it is for the year we've had it!)

TheIceQueen · 18/12/2007 16:09

annie - have you ever played them though - I wasn't keen on the PS2......until DH brought one home (for the grand total of £80 including 3 games, 2 controllers and the console itself) and I played it with him - then I was hooked.

Funny how people assume that those of us that have game stations have paid a fortune for them.....because we certainly haven't - and the PS2 in the DS's room is about 1 1/2yrs old now.....and the most expensive game we've bought for it cost £12.99.....average price £5-10...

ABudafulSightWereHappyTonight · 18/12/2007 16:11

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!

DS (6) is sitting on the floor behind me playing football on the Playstation - although in the time it took me to type that he has gotten up and gone to play real football with a balloon. Then he may well watch TV. Then he will probably play with the pile of cars on the floor and or the lego thingie he is currently constructing.

If he only did any one of those things I might worry but I think all of them offer him something in one way or another.

(I do laugh a little to myself when DS has friends over to play and he wants to actually play - those that have games consoles at home are usually not too bothered about playing on one here but those that don't have one want to play it all the time! I don't judge the friend who told me her DS wants a PS2 for Xmas but she "will not have one in the house" and I don't expect her to judge me for the fact that I do have one in the house!)

TheIceQueen · 18/12/2007 16:11

'unker - you bought him a digital camera - - why not just a standard 35mm one - you know he's going to want to get on the computer and "tweak" his photos with a digital one don't you (and you wouldn't want to get him used to being on a computer )

TinyTimLivesinVictorianSqualor · 18/12/2007 16:11

DD (7)has a tv in her room. It is our old one, and the picture is crap as it's not plugged into anything, she is allowed to watch it for an hour(ish) after school and on weekend mornings before we are all up. That's it. That's because we had a spare one though, I wouldn't have bought her one purposely and I think tv's in rooms that aren't properly mointored are erm wrong

I refuse to buy her a DS for xmas as we all want one, dp and I want one for brain training and all those sorts of things and she wants one for the crappy girly games. IMO a games console, like a pc, is something for the family not a single person.

DP bought a ps3 a little while ago and the ps2 went upstairs to DD's room but it's never been plugged in and I'd prefer it to stay that way, my x's nephews both got boguht gameboy advance thingies when they came out (they were 3 and 6 at the time) and whenever they came to my house they bought them and just sat there with them. It's not just mind numbing, but bloody rude!

AwayInAMunker · 18/12/2007 16:12

Enid, what retro games and consoles have you got? Just found DH's old Sega MegaDrive - with the cartridge Sonic and Echo the Dolphin - and my old hand-held Nintendo Donkey Kong (which I got when I was nine!).

AwayInAMunker · 18/12/2007 16:13

Why not a standard 35mm one? Because it costs to get the photos developed and doesn't have a screen on the back to see the pics you've taken!

AwayInAMunker · 18/12/2007 16:13

Oh, and whilst he does take well-lined-up shots, I'm NOT paying to have a bazillion photos of Bear developed...!