Is my DS the only 6 year old in the UK

[nappyaddict]

Without access to a laptop, PC, ipad, tablet, itouch, ipod, nintendo DS, wii, xbox, leapster, leappad or playstation?

Because it seems that way! Am I depriving him?

DS is 7. He gets occasional use of the Wii (more in the winter than the summer - its not been used for 3 months). He gets to write letters and emails on my laptop and do research for school projects (with assistance)(yes, at 7!) but none of the others - so we're not that different!

He has no access to the internet at all?

DS got a nintendo when he was 6 but without internet access. Be warned in yr2 kids started using the internet for research in school and it came home as homework a few times.

No, mine was the same at 6 yrs old. You are not depriving him.

I think they use the computers at school (Y1), but not sure if they go on the internet or not.

He will be fine.

My DD has occasional use of my Ipad, but nothing else.

She is fine.

i don't think you're depriving him, but neither do i see a point in not letting him have a go on a PC/laptop/iphone or whatever you're MNing from.

dd1 has no electronic gadgets, but I have a laptop, and she watches (supervised) some programmes on inlayer, and has a play on poisson rouge.

My DD can play occasional games on my ipad but that is it. She does not need access to internet at the moment.

My 6 year old uses the laptop, wii and very occasionally my iPod. He also goes online at school. I was thinking about buying him a DS for his next birthday or christmas, but my dd has one and hardly uses it, so I'm thinking it might not be worth it.

I don't think there is a right level of electronic usage, do what's right for you. I don't think he'll suffer any long term damage with not having a wii.

I think you are depriving him use of the internet and pc or laptop, but not any of the others tbh.

Ds1, also 6, has no gadgets of his own, but he does have carefully supervised internet access on the family pc for finding out about stuff (has had a couple of school miniprojects which would have been much harder without). No consoles in the house at all. He uses the internet during school IT lessons already in y1.

We reserve books from the library if he wants to find out about stuff. The laptop is DP's work one, so DS is not allowed to use it incase he breaks it.

Nope - my DS is seven and we're getting him an xbox360 for his birthday in September, and thats only because my stepson is moaning that theres nothing for him to do when he comes down here :/

deemented So he doesn't have any other games consoles/computer type things?

my six year old doesn't have access to any of the things you list apart from occasionally my laptop and always under supervision (for the sake of my laptop which is work's!!)

it had never occured to me that this was unusual.

well my 7yr old does have access to xbox, wii and nintendo ds but they are family owned and so its only when i say so and its limited. he occasionally uses the pc BUT the difference is that he has 2 older brothers who are 12 (almost 13) and 10 so we have them by merit of having older children and also dp loves the xbox (uses it more than the children do!) when ds1 was 6 we only had an old ps2 which he never used, nor did he go on the pc.

the xbox and wii were both xmas presents (not at the same xmas!) for the whole family. tho ds4 who is 4 doesnt use them at all and nor does 19mth dd. i think to use them properly they need to be more like 5 or 6 and then limited use only.

and i would never in a million years by a small child their own ipad, tablet, itouch etc, i wouldnt let my 12yr old have one either, evil mother that i am, he got a kindle instead :)

My 2.5 year old has a Leappad.

Yes. He is two and a half. It wasn't my purchase.

His eighteen month old cousin also has one.

I have this horrible sinking feeling that it will be hard to stem the tide as grandparents will purchase these things.

(My personal pet peeve is tables in restaurants with 4/5 kids all playing on electronic devices during a meal).

My ds is 6 and has 30 mins access per day to the Internet. He doesn't have any games consoles and won't for a very long time.

Mine has access to a ds or Wii on weekends for about an hour. Or four if dh is in charge!

During the week he can use computer.

It's usually for random science questions I cannot answer. I do all the searching - he watches.
We saw how water can float in space on a NASA video recently and the relative sizes of all the planets. Very educational, but so easy to get sucked in to all the crap that's out there.

All other 6 yr olds I know have equal or much more screen time.

My DS1&2 are now 9 & 7 and have had limited access since 6.

DS1 got a DS for his 8th birthday and so will DS2. They play twice a week in term time, probably 3-4 times in holidays but for 1-2 hrs and never if we're out.

Internet vital for homework from year 3 and they can choose to play on cool Maths or cbbc websites instead if DS.

I hate gaming because I don't get it and the stupid noises really irritate me but I don't think it's a problem if you keep it to sensible times.

So - not deprivation if it's just games, although access to Internet will become a necessity.

My ds plays games on the iPad. Occasionally uses my iPhone. He plays supervised games on the iMac. We may get an Xbox at Christmas. They are useful for tired evenings and breaking up car journeys. Although I come over all 1970s mum and insist he looks out the window and play games. Which he tolerates
I think every so often is ok as long as he plays with all his other toys more. And it's his future. He needs decent ICT skills. However, don't worry about it. Your child Your rules.

Mine is nearly 6 and has no access to any of the above.

My 4 yo plays apps on my iPhone sometimes in emergency situations. She never uses the laptop & we don't own any of the other things listed & I imagine we never will.