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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

are nintendo ds bad for children's development?

36 replies

mollynp · 13/11/2009 22:05

i am considering buying my 6 year old son a nintendo ds for christmas (and maybe my 4 year old son too so they don't fight over it). He has problems with social and communication skills (possibly aspergers, we are waiting for assessment) He would really like one, but i'm not too keen on him playing with it all the time. i like the idea of him playing more educational games like big brain academy or brain train, but i'm not sure that is what he has in mind! have parents noticed any worsening of their kids behaviour after buying them one, or am i being over anxious?! has anyone bought one with only educational games? will kids still play with it much?

OP posts:

edam · 17/11/2009 22:32

hello Mum!

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 18/11/2009 18:58

Original poster

mollynp · 18/11/2009 20:28

my brother-in-law has lent us his nintendo ds lite, and the only game the boys want to play is the mario kart one. the older one doesn't have much interest in brain train or big brain academy!
can anyone recommend good games for four and six year old boys? i already have junior brain train, big brain academy, nintendogs and a professor layton one.

OP posts:

alizon · 15/09/2010 21:32

Does anyone have any reccommendations for a cautious parent thinking of buying the DD a nintendo ds for her 6th birthday? DP seems to think it's time she had one, under strict time control, but I'm still concerned about how addictive they can become. Any ideas for good games to start off on would be welcome!

zapostrophe · 15/09/2010 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Lynli · 15/09/2010 21:53

DS learned to speak French with a DS game. He also has several for expanding vocabulary, can't remember what they are called.

I don't understand why people think they are so bad. Depends on the quality of the game.

fluffyhamster · 15/09/2010 21:59

DS2 is, we think, on the spectrum, although not diagnosed.

Both he and DS1 (10) have DSs, and with DS2 we have had a lot of the same issues as with MooseMama - e.g. obsession with getting his 'half an hour'/ getting het up about getting to the next level etc.

As someone said, though, you have to be prepared to be a strong parent, and set guidelines around use, and police it effectively.

But on balance it has probably been a good/useful thing. DS2 was not a great reader, but the DS games forced him to read in order to play them. Also he has always been very shy socially, and the DS give him soemthing to talk to the other boys at school about.

We also use it for 'dead' time/ travel time etc - in conjunction with various other things (audio books/ puzzle books etc)

Don't fool yourself that they will sit around playing pocket chess and brain training - these are the games that they never touch! (That's why there are so many for sale 'used' in Game...)

preghead · 15/09/2010 22:01

I agree with the majority - they are fine as long as you are consitent with the rules from day 1. My ds who is nearly 6 started using mine a few months ago and would literally play it every day all day if I let him. At the moment he doesnt have free access to it and has to ask me for it - we have a no school night rule and also pretty much save it for dead time - car journeys, weekends etc. Same with the wii (weekend only).

Only negatives/dangers is that he does go on about it a bit (when is it Friday? When can I have the DS etc) and it can be difficult to make him stop when we arrive at destination etc. Saying that, he is getting a bit better as he gets a bit older and I can't be a hypocrite as I would play video games all day if I could.

As long as you keep a lid on it - they are too young to have the necessary self control to judge when to stop I think - it is fine. He plays all the mario games, all the lego games, picross 3D, peppa pig, yoshis island etc etc. TBH, I think they are all as educational as each other at this stage - he does try and read the text now too. I think 6 is about right probably on balance.

preghead · 15/09/2010 22:04

I also found the getting het up/frustration has lessened a lot - as he has got better at them I suppose. We have also had lots of discussions about how you have to keep trying, can't always do things first time around, just try your best, put it away and come back to it etc and I think that has been quite beneficial as he used to give up a bit too easily when couldn't do things first time around. His persitance and patientce have improved.

MrsRhettButler · 15/09/2010 22:06

dd has one and i have never really restricted her time apart from occasionally saying 'dd you've been on too long now, go play with something else'

moose do you possibly think that it could be a case of too much restriction making the ds seem like an amazing thing to him?

fluffyhamster · 15/09/2010 22:20

I know that my eldest DS explained to me that half an hour was a frustratingly short amount of time, since you might get halfway through a level and then 'lose' everything you'd 'earned' if you had to switch it off?

Sounded like a plausible reason...

I completely second the 'get the rules right' from the beginning thing though.
We had major arguments from DS2 who was trying to 'rollover' his 'half an hour' per day ... and we had a couple of spectacular evening tantrums where he has been carried to his room, over-tired, wailing "But I can't go to bed yet - I HAVEN'T HAD MY HALF AN HOUR..."

The other tip I would give is to store them in a drawer out of sight... then out of mind ... and get them out when it suits YOU and you need the kids to be occupied...

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