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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that a 3 year old doesn't really need a DS. ..

100 replies

choufleur · 26/02/2010 19:29

and if you're going to buy your 3 year old one then you shouldn't allow them to take it to nursery so that other 3 years olds (my ds) then go on and on about wanting one.

OP posts:
nickytwotimes · 26/02/2010 19:30

Yanbu.
Too young.

QuestionsAnswered · 26/02/2010 19:33

Yanbu

Way too young.

Original poster
choufleur · 26/02/2010 19:35

I've no idea what games they might play on it. DS plays on cbeebies sometimes. bit different though i think

OP posts:
YoginiBikini · 26/02/2010 19:36

Duh! Read that far too quickly.
I thought you meant ds as in another son/baby. Thought you had heard too many people going on about siblings being good for a child
Sorry, as you were

Coldhands · 26/02/2010 19:38

YANBU. My step uncle got one for his 3 year old DD, then said she had the cartridge that has 600 games on it .

My DS looks at mine sometimes but there is no way he is playing on it. I don't mind some of the games on Cbeebies (when he is older, he is only 2) but that is the limit for electronic games until he is much older. Kids this young should be playing board games (or am I just really old fashioned?).

And they really shouldn't be taking it to nursery!

SoupDragon · 26/02/2010 19:39

[shrug]

DD got one just before she turned 4. Both her older brothers had them. She doesn't take it to nursery.

It's not anyone elses job to ensure your child doesn't see things he's not allowed though.

SecretSlattern · 26/02/2010 19:39

YANBU.

I took a DS from a little boy this week at work. He had sneaked it into his lunch bag and when he had finished his lunch, I could hear these noises. Went over to the book corner where he was sitting glued to it.

Totally unnecessary IMO for a 3yo to have any such thing.

Original poster
choufleur · 26/02/2010 19:40

that's a whole different thread yogi!

OP posts:
Original poster
choufleur · 26/02/2010 19:41

oh i'm sure he sees plenty of things he's not allowed/we haven't got.

OP posts:
coldtits · 26/02/2010 19:44

YABu

There will always be children who have things he can't have, and he will always go on and on about it.

And I must add that despite us wishing it was 1924, it's not, and the world has changed. It's a toy.

cory · 26/02/2010 19:44

Agree with part one of your post- no they don't need it.

Agree with part two- no, it's a bad idea to take it to nursery.

But totally disagree with part three- the implication that other parents should make their parenting choices based on what your dcs might choose to whinge about.

If that were the case, I'd have insisted that no other children should be allowed a cat, a dog, any computer games or even (for the first years of my dc's life) a television.

WingedVictory · 26/02/2010 19:47

I beg your pardon?

SoupDragon · 26/02/2010 19:51

A 3 year old doesn't need anything bar food, clothing and a loving home. However, we shower them with an ever increasing number of toys and games when they'd be happy with a large cardboard box or a bowl of water.

PardonMyClench · 26/02/2010 19:58

They don't need them and they shouldn't take them to nursery however not sure that there is inherent harm in them. My DS 3.5 saw a friend of his playing a Peppa pig game on hers and had a go. I was impressed with how it encouraged his pencil grip with which we have been battling and appeared to promote fine motor skills. There may be other ways of doind this but I could see how, if properly used and in the context of a varied day of activities, people might consider a DS appropriate for a 3 year old.

fernie3 · 26/02/2010 19:58

well my three year old would probably break it in 5 seconds or so but if the child enjoys it and understands it I dont see the problem. They shouldnt take it to nursery though just because its likely to get broken or lost!

OtterInaSkoda · 26/02/2010 20:04

yanbu - and I'm a gamer who has allowed her own ds (as in darling son!) to play on consoles since he could hold a controller in his wee hand.

BUT YABU if you think that parents shouldn't buy their dcs stuff just in case other parents can't handle pester power.

notsoteenagemum · 26/02/2010 20:05

YANBU that (IMO) a 3,4,5 or possibly 6 year old does not need a ds, and that school or nursery is not the place for such an item.
I assume you are being light-hearted about the last point,in which case
if not YABU teach your child not to whinge.

TrinityIsFuckingTrying · 26/02/2010 20:07

no a three year old doesn't need a ds

and without a doubt it shuld never be taken into nursery

BUT

gecko loves playing her 9 year old sisters ds(peppa pig game)

she has been doing ot for a good few minths now, she turned three at the beg. of feb

no she doesn't need it but she loves it, it definitely hepled her along with her counting, colours and dexterity

I see no issue with it

she doens't play for hours,
its a toy

Coldhands · 26/02/2010 20:19

My only problem is when children cannot amuse themselves with anything else (and here I am thinking of older children). My sister and DHs cousin had DS's from a young age and they took them everywhere and just sat with them the whole time whilst not talking or doing anything. My DHs cousin brought hers when they came to visit after we had our DS (child not games console ) and she sat the whole time and played on it. Then we found out later that she got upset because she didn't get to hold our DS (again, child not her games console, this is getting confusing ). lol.

janeite · 26/02/2010 20:23

I find the idea of 3 year olds with games consoles really quite worrying actually. And of course they shouldn't be taken into nursery and any parent that thought it was okay for their three year old to do so, is, imho, quite frankly bonkers. So there!

OtterInaSkoda · 26/02/2010 20:26

Trinity I wouldn't have allowed my 3yo to have a ds. Unless I could have had one too

Coldhands · 26/02/2010 20:29

Otter Get one, they are fantastic! Especially Professor Layton games.

Boys2mam · 26/02/2010 20:30

At his recent parents evening my DS1's teacher told me that the school had discussed using DS's (as in consoles) as teaching aids as they thought there may be a place for them in motor skills and reading.

I was as I try and limit my sons time on his (he's just turned 6 btw). The thought that these tiny screens, which blatantly distort my sons behaviour if he has too much time on them, could be used within the classroom still makes me

TrinityIsFuckingTrying · 26/02/2010 20:32

oh otter I completely agree with you

she doesn't actually own one, she borrows her big sisters and her big sister wasn't allowed one till I had one

I've finished BOTH professor laytons dont you know

chocices · 26/02/2010 20:35

My son informed me that for his 5th birthday the minimum he NEEDED was an Ipod touch, but what he really NEEDED was a Laptop.

He got a fire engine.

That's the joy of older siblings, his teenager sister has these things, which I think is appropriate, he has to wait. He does have a ds though, although it never went to nursery nor now to school.