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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

PLAYSTATION ARGUMENTS DRIVING ME MAD!!

22 replies

7777777 · 29/12/2005 20:53

my 11year old son would sit on the playstation from the minute he gets in from school until bedtime about 9oc IF id let him. he gets so moody when he gets stuck on a level and i can hear the handset being bashed on the floor upstairs which i dont think is healthy!i let him go on for upto 2hours at a time and hes agreed to have 2 evenings free of it a week. my friend does this with her son. he said earlier tonight after staying with grandma for a day/nite/day that he NEEDED to go on it as he couldnt live without it. do other mums limit the time or am i being a meany?

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Janh · 29/12/2005 20:55

I unplug it and take it away

daisy1999 · 29/12/2005 20:57

think you're being more than generous. Stick to your guns.

daisiesinaline · 29/12/2005 21:09

I refuse to have a playstation in the house. Hate the things! DS1 does have a gameboy though (hate those too!!!)

He is not allowed on during the week only at weekends and he has to 'earn' the time to go on it. ie, gets stars for good behaviour. 5 stars = 10 mins on gameboy at weekend. And he is not allowed on it until all homework has been done. Works really well for us. He is nearly 9.

Original poster

7777777 · 29/12/2005 21:11

so wot do you allow then, i wana let my son read any replies so he knows im not being a bitch. he said he wants to go and live with his grandma coz i dont let him on it enough!

OP posts:

daisiesinaline · 29/12/2005 21:11

PS. Any grumpiness while he is on it and it is taken away. I am really mean aren't I!!!!?

Original poster

7777777 · 29/12/2005 21:12

sorry daisy youre message crossed with mine about how long you allow.x

OP posts:

BournemouthBaubleBabe · 29/12/2005 21:14

I gave in to DH's wishes and we got DS (nearly 6) a PS2 for Christmas. So far it's a novelty and he wants to play it 24/7, but we are letting him use it for an hour at a time, then he must take a break. He is good and won't go on it without asking. 77777777 I would put your foot down and stick to time limits, if he doesn't like it, remove it until he can respect your wishes, it's your house and it's for his benefit.

Original poster

7777777 · 29/12/2005 21:18

my son wont go on it without asking which is one good thing, his argument is that you need a long time on it because the games hes got take ages to finish a level (ive watched him and wouldnt have the patience!). hes got 4 games for xmas, harry potter he got stuck on the 1st level and kingkong he is addicted too. i said to him before xmas that it was in my cupboard after being confiscated so much that i dont know why he bothered having it back!i just find him a much nicer family orientated boy when hes not got it.

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daisiesinaline · 29/12/2005 21:19

Depends on how 'good' he's been but normally it works out about 2 hours on a saturday and about 1 - 1/2 hours on a sunday.

daisiesinaline · 29/12/2005 21:21

I also find that if he is on it a lot one particular weekend, his mood changes and he is really foul tempered. If that happens that he is not allowed on it at all the following weekend.

festiveface · 29/12/2005 21:22

ds2 is 6 and the arrangement here is that he can go on it every other night for an hour 1/2
ds1 is 10 and he has the same arrangement except he likes to go on the pc.

festiveface · 29/12/2005 21:23

i have noticed that it makes him bad tempered afterwards.

BudaBabeInAManger · 29/12/2005 21:26

I bought our PS2 last year for DH's birthday - DS was 3.5/ He (DS that is) was obsessed at first but I bought a kitchen timer and limited him to 30 mins at a time. Noticed that he would stop himself after about 25 mins. He then went off it for a bit but is now back into it but I am careful of the games. He has one called "Raod Trip" whcih is brilliant. Totally age appropriate and he has stayed interested.

Original poster

7777777 · 29/12/2005 21:30

feedback is great ta, daisy does yours go on it in the week then or just weekends. the going on it every other nite festiveface is a good idea.im going to enjoy letting son read these messages tomoro when he starts nagging!

OP posts:

Janh · 29/12/2005 21:33

7777777 - unplug it and take it away if you're not happy - make him earn it back by spending time on other things, and then if he still bangs the controller on the floor take it away again - it's not hard!

daisiesinaline · 29/12/2005 21:34

Just at weekends. During holiday times he is allowed occasionally during the week but only for 30 mins or so every 3rd day or so. He knows the score and is generally really good about it. And if he doesn't come off it when I say and/or moans about coming off, it disappears!!!!!!

He got a new game for it for Christmas and do you know what (I was really impressed with him and told him so) he didn't play the new game until the day after Boxing day. bless his little heart! Played with all his other stuff first.

Original poster

7777777 · 29/12/2005 21:39

think i need to have a word with his friends parents as they let their kids on it without even asking which doesnt help me at all. after reading your messages, i dont know where youre all from, but it appears that ive allowed him loads of time on it when i thought i was being quite strict. hes 11 going on 15, im dreading when another couple of years times, praps he l be more into girls by then!

OP posts:

daisiesinaline · 29/12/2005 21:46

You are in charge, you set the rules. Suppose doesn't matter too much how much time he spends on it as long as he is doing other stuff too and it doesn't affect his mood. If you are not happy at the amount of time he is spending on it, then lay new rules down. You are in charge. I know I am particularly 'mean' when it comes to gameboys etc, most of my friends' children are on them alot more than mine. You have to find a balance that suits you and your family.

Original poster

7777777 · 30/12/2005 08:43

bump

OP posts:

WideWebWitch · 30/12/2005 08:47

PS is limited in our house.

tigermoth · 30/12/2005 09:30

I have let my sons (11 and 6) have lots of time on the Xbox and gameboy over the christmas holidays, as we are all relaxing. My youngest son has just got into these games. I think it is no bad thing to indulge him for a while. He is not hugely into reading books but I have a suspician that playing games is motivating him to learn to read - he gets so frustrated having to depend on his brother to decipher on screen instructions.

The boys know (hopefully!)that this is a holiday/bad weather thing. When they are back at school, they will be allowed a lot less time to play games and once it is warm enough to go to parks more, they will not be spending weekend afternoons cooped up in their bedroom staring at a screen.

IME their enthusiasm for Xbox/gameboy stuff waxes and wanes - if I let them get it out of their systems, they will. I also try and keep them busy with other interests and take them out a lot so they don't get too obsessed with one thing.

777777, what sort of things can your son do when he is not playing on his playstation? what other hobbies and interests does he have? can you encourage them - could he join more afterschool clubs for instance?

Original poster

7777777 · 30/12/2005 09:36

he plays footie after school 2 nites and a sunday morning. all his friends are the other side of our village and their are no kids at all in our road (all pensioners) so he gets bored. i do let him walk to his friends but this time of year is difficult because of the weather and darkness and i worry. he loves drawing and used to read a lot but in the last year hes got very hormonal and strong willed and argues about going on it. it drives me mad!

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