to not want to buy my son a Nintendo DS for his 5th birthday?

[MummyDragon]

I've just posted this elsewhere too as I wasn't really sure where to put it ..

I am not at all convinced that my DS is old enough to have a Nintendo DSi or whatever they're called for his 5th birthday. He already has a VTech handheld/console game which he likes a lot anyway, and at least I can pretend that it is eductional! (well, it is, actually!). But all - and I mean all - the mums at school are raving about their 5-year-olds having the DS and how wonderful it is. Never having been much of a one for computer games (the only game I ever played was Donkey Kong) I am very unsure about this. 5 just seems SO YOUNG to be constantly plugged into a computer game, and my friend's son is horribly aggressive for hours after he finishes playing it. All comments welome. Thank you!

(btw, my son loves learning on computers at school and is a "typical boy" in that his absolute favourite activity is getting wet and muddy. For hours and hours).

You talking to me Doodle? hugh? You talking to me?
you would probably floor me in a matter of seconds!

I just think that 5 is a bit young because as someone else pointed out what do you get them when they are 10? and, because I am not sure that a 5yo would take enough care of such an expensive item.

On a different note, I am not to keeen on them at any age, mostly because I would end up spending half a day on MN and the other on DCs DS!

If you don't want to get him one, then don't.

However IMO they are not an evil. They have many advantages. Most children are perfectly capable of not becoming obsessed by them. They are not exclusive use. Owning one does not mean a child will then not play in other ways as well.

They dont need to be expensive; second hand ones are a great thing IMO (ds2 had a second hand PSP for his birthday, 8th, a few months back; spotless it was and covered by gurantee in GameStation)

Can't see the what do you get them when... thing myself. You get them new gamnes / packages / upadtes or, in all truth if they're anything like mine most likely you'll get themevery few years whatever is new in gaming-land (pandered to by DH not me, I have Offcially No Interest in all things gamey. Except venison, anyway )

Up to you really but I certainly wouldn't feel pressured to. My DS is 8 and doesn't have one. We have a family computer and have downloaded some games for him - space invader types mostly. He is happy with this and equally happy outside playing with sticks and climbing trees. I know if he had a nintendo or something I would be tempted to keep him quiet with it at times but actually I like it better when he and his sister are making up daft games with string and blu-tac, or singing insulting songs to each other. Much better use of the imagination IMO!

DS8 had one for his 6th bday and he loves it but by no means is he on it all the time. It has been a god send on long journeys and when its raining etc.

He is not obsessed by it and certainly doesnt become agressive when he has played on it.

My ds had friends 3 years younger than him who had a DSi and he had to wait until he was 8. He had use of the family computer and that was enough to argue with about the time he spent in front of a screen. You know your ds but I would say wait.

i love computer games, since my ds(7) has one he has spent hours making the scenes from the games out of lego and writing (he was never bothered) books about the games. he's obsessive! i'm so happy as they've given him the imagination to do other stuff.

does that make sense?

Thank you everyone!

I got DH to buy ME one for my birthday! I love it and let DS (4) play games on it sometimes!!

It's proved useful when out at long and boring family meals....(he's the only child).