in saying my 5 year old DD is too young for a Nintendo DS?

[MrsR99]

My 8 year old DS was given a DS lite for his birthday. Grandpa thought it looked so much fun he bought one for himself. Then he and grandma called from the airport on their way to go on holiday to tell my DH that they had bought him one too! My 5 year old DD has already asked for a DS but we told her she was too young (she can barely read) and could have one when she could read properly. When she finds out that not only her brother and grandpa, but also her daddy have all got them, she's going to go bananas. This is after her best friend got given a DS for her 5th birthday last week! I really have a problem with the idea of the whole family lined up on the sofa staring at that **ing screen, bashing at buttons and not talking to each other, and generally turning into zombies. Am I being mean?

My girls 4 and 6 have one each and are not too young. The novelty wore off pretty quickly and they probably only get them out once a week or so, they spend far more time colouring in and glueing. If you don't want your daughter ti have one them it's fair enough not to buy one.

My 14 yr old is under no illusions that if he can have a DS/ games console over my dead body.

I know it's swimming against the tide, but as a sec sch teacher I've seen enough 11-12 yr olds with no attention span or common sense, and behaviour problems caused by the need for continuous fast-moving stimulation to not want that for my children. These are strangely also the ones playing computer games upwards of 3 hours a day.

Many boys are uncommunicative enough as it is (my son is one of them) without being encouraged to spend hours every day on the DS/PS etc. You stand your ground! It will only benefit him.

My DS (5) got a DS for his christmas and after the initial buzz of the new toy has worn off he doesn't play with it all the much. He is doing well and school and enjoys reading! Its been good for long journeys too.

OH Let me tell you my DS is NOT a spoilt BRAT he is a very loved little boy and my ONLY one who if he wants something I WILL go to the end of the earth to buy it I don't need you to tell me what my child is at all.
Oh by the way he has a XBOX 360 at his nannies which my father gave him!
So are you saying then that my dad who has 2 laptops , a desktop PC and had 2 Xbox's is a spoilt Father then?

People get far too hung up about this issue IMO. It's all down to how you manage it and balance their use with other activities. As the parent you have the power, so what's the problem?

dS (4.5) wants one. Dh wants a Wii. I dislike both.
But thne my two sils, one who is a primary teacher and the other than helps children with speial needs, said thta they were highly recommended. Not for loads of play. But occassional play, for children going into and in primary school. Helps co-ordiantion, focus, maths skills etc, etc, and the general consensus amongst teachers/special skills professionals, is thta they ARTE recommended.
Well, I was truewly shocked by this. I thought thta children of 9 or 10, would be better. But appraerently not.

DH and I both have a DS Lite and dd1 (who is 5) loves to use it and play on it. I think we'll probably get her one in a couple of years - in the meantime she has a V-smile pocket which is really not that different - in fact I think the games are better for children her age. She doesn't play on it endlessly so I have no problems from that score. The biggest factor in not getting her a DS now (aside from cost) is the fact that there seem to be very few games suitable for her age - they seem quite text heavy and though she is a very good reader she still struggles.

"he is a very loved little boy and my ONLY one who if he wants something I WILL go to the end of the earth
to buy it.".

You buy him everything he wants, if he REALLY wants it ??????

sigh

Since when did stuff become the gauge of love? Since when was it EVER a good parenting technique to give one's children everything they wanted? Since when did a little frustration and unmet wants become such a bad thing, rather than a normal and natural part of life?

for all the children who feel that stuff=love when a hug & story or half hour in the park/ making playdough are often better.

look i am not being funny but please don't patronise (sp i know) me. If I want to buy something that a lot of what his friends have then I will ok. I aint the richest person in the world have to do a lot of scrimping but will buy him things. so please don't be horrid!

If I got my son play dough he'd laugh at me. He likes action figures and stuff wsuch as Ben 10 and Spiderman etc so it aint all computer games and that. And I do not buy stuff to show love beleive me he knows how loved he is. like a say you don't know my situation etc

Regina I think action figures are great but so is playdough! If you sit down with him and get some out I bet you a tenner that he would be playing with it within a minute.

Most of my ds' action figures are covered in play dough! It can be great for encouraging imaginative play.

Don't discount stuff like this!

Would he really laugh at play dough? I find that a little .

My stepson is nearly 17, and he can still be found, on occasion, elbow deep in dd's playdough with a daft grin on his face.

Don't underestimate playdough - if nothing else, pounding and squeezing it is a very good stress reliever

I think they shoould be using their imagination at this age, that's all. I think the graphics and sedentary nature of these type of games are unneccessary in young children.
It feels like you are rushing them to grow uo and experience all of these things far too early

my dsis is thinking of buying her 3 year old one

cue tense conversation between me and her

I won't let my 6yr old have one yet. The soonest she'll get one is Christmas (she'll be 7 in August) but I'm not sure about that yet either. I have a think nearer the time.
She does have a Leapster though and loves it but I limit it to one set of batteries a month. I'm probably mean but I don't care

what i thought all mums would be worried about it the texting facility on it? or have i just heard that wrong from my Dneice?

my children share our mac and old gameboy (DH really).

Star Wars lego and PacMac are there favourites!

My 5 year old boys like the DS but don't have their own as I don't see the need for all 4 of my kids to have their own. I wouldn't say 5 is too young but maybe sharing is better than having their own.

"I aint
the richest person in the world have to do a lot of scrimping but will buy him things.". well if I had to scrimp then 4 games consoles would be at the bottom of my priority list.

I really, really fail to see why anyone would need 4 games consoles. really.

oh and...

playdough is fab.

Not unreasonable. They're the same as TV sets and computers. Fine for the family room but utterly not necessary for personal use

we've just bought our dd a DS for her 5th birthday, she loves it and most of the mindees i have, have one too..there ARE gaems that dont need a lot of rading but TBH the DS has helped my dd's reading as we go through it together then gradullay she regonises the wrods(some pretty big for her ahe) and is doing really well.

One of my mindees told me that their head teacher(same school as dd) has just bought 4 ds's for the school with brain train games...fantastic game and the younger one for dd's age+ is fab!

LOL, maybe i should get a spelling game for it myself

Just to add my fourpenoth,,,,, I think it is absolutely appalling that people on this thread have been use the "M" word so easily.... It is an abhorrent word and I hope that those of you who have used it will think more carefully about your choice of words in future... maybe "laze about" might be more suitable??