Would you buy your 5 yr old girl a gamecube this xmas??

[trinityrocks]

it's all she wants, she loves to play mario!

completely prepared to get answers just not prepared for people to assume that my child will be an inactive, unsocialised morom if I buy her a gamecube.

Anyway I in no way meant to piss anyone off and I don't want this to continue into an argument, I'm sorry for my slightly angry posts but if you take a look at the hoover thread in Sleep then there is a reason if not an excuse Sorry again hope all are well

dont see the difference between a gamecube and a Leappad quite frankly

Trinityrocks, I think there are a couple of things to check out:
is it a format that is around to stay (for a year or two anyway)
how many suitable games are their for your dd, and how much will they cost and
how robust is it (we have had CDROM scrating issue with our PC games)
Otherwise I can't see a problem provided that it's used in moderation (like everything else in life!)
I don't think that a five year old is going to be teased for not having one - we are thinking of a games consule for ds at Christmas, he's 6 1/2, and hasn't mentioned any grief from school. Really we are getting it so that dh can play with him, and a lot of games are better played with a joypad than mouse/keyboard.
dh and I both grew up with computers, and would love to play adventure games with him, but they don't make them anymore

Nooka what kind of adventure games, there are lots of "retro" games and new versions, wondered if we could match you up.

God, Enid, I bloody do. Wouldn't have my own Leappad!

All of the LucasArts ones (especially Sam & Max, Monkey Island 2, Grim Fandango) or anything in that genre. Would love to find something good again - haven't played anything really fun for years (I enjoy the Sims, but it's not really fun)

Can't you get mario on something else? All the kids here have game boys or game boy advance so talking about them/ swopping pokemon (yes still, know we're backward) is a big social activity. Yes it can stop them doing other things but only if you let it. Its also excellent for discipline - no game boy until they've done their homework (and done it properly)

I wouldn't worry about it TR. I am sure your children will still 'go for walks' etc aswell as playing computer games.

I didn't have a computer til I was in my teens and I ALWAYS hated going for walks, nothing to do with computers, prefered to read/play/anything else really!

So it wasn't the evil computers fault. Funny that.

Only read bits of this thread, and argh argh argh!!!

I must be a terrible mummy . For Xmas last year (DD was only 2 this May), we got her a special keyboard thingy to go on the PC, and she sits and plays on that (and yes, she walks and plays outside etc ).

By the time she is 5, she will be onto xbox games etc. It will be amazing if she's not what with Daddy being an xbox addict.

From what I read, none of you seemed to care where TR's DD would be having this gamecube - for me, it wouldn't be in her room, but that is because I don't like TVs in the bedroom (mine included).

It is a toy, probably more educational than some, and as long as she's not playing games that involve stabbing people and stealing cars, then why get so hysterical?

And yes, I'm pregnant, hormonal and stroppy!

My 2 boys (aged 6 and 4) have a PS2 a gameboy each and ds2 got a PSP for his 4th birthday (dh got one as well, so now we have 2)

We also go for walks

...and we have a trampoline in the garden which gets a lot of use...

and banning the playstation is a very effective threat in our house so good for discipline

Trinity- don't be bothered by what has been said...
My sons TOM,Leigh and Alex..11,8 and 6 all play outside on the trampoline AND play gameboys...playstations etc.

Noone 'critisises' the child that plays football for 10 hours on a saturday...because it's seen as 'healthy' and ofcourse i'm a 'terrible ' mum for allowing my son's 'unlimited' time on their consoles etc.

BATTYBOX...ref the 'helping hand eye co-ordination'... this was something told to me by our Paediatrician...but here's something i quickly found on google to 'back up my case'!!!!

surgeons improve hand eye co-ordination after palying games consoles

NOT an 'april Fool'.... even the Occupational threrapists agree it helps.

Then as in my case when you have a child with ADHD...Asperger's Syndrome...and DYSPRAXIA.... you are grateful that the child can be so amazing at an activity- cos not all kids are able to 'go for walks'...etc...so are housebound ...so that concludes my case!

This is from a BBC news article..........

"Computer games also have educational benefits - they improve hand/eye co-ordination, but also a lot of games require children to think strategically and to plan, which are skills which can be taken into the classroom. "

Read in full here

Haven't read the whole thread yet (galnced at the first few) but yes, yes, yes. IMO Gamecube is the best one for kids, there seems to be a lot more kid orientated games on it. It won't do her any harm in moderation, and can even be an educational asset - DS1's reading is way above his years because he loves playing role playing games which involve reading loads of backstory, conversations etc

Right, now going to go and read the shock horror 'games consoles are the work of the devil' posts

God, I love being a bad mother

it would be nice to be wrong sometimes!

I agree...i can hear the tuts os disaproval all over the land!!!

I'm a bad mum too!!!

Serenity - there are a few of us bad mothers around if you look closely...

see!

Erm ... who's called anyone else a bad mother? I can't see any "work of the devil" posts - I can see a lot of people saying why they wouldn't buy one for their own children, and giving their own reasons why, but I can't see anyone making any value judgments about it. I can see several people making judgments on those posters who don't like the games machines, though.

When someone asks for opinions, why is it so odd that they should get opinions that differ from theirs? Are we only meant to post on a thread if we agree with the original poster? When did it suddenly become a crime to express an opinion anyway - that's all those who like games machines have done, when all said and done.

Erm...WWB - The first few posts gave NO reasons, just no answers, as if that was the obvious choice. Or at least maybe it seemed that way to te OP.

Also I think that serenity, myself and others were joking about the bad mothers thing... I certainly don't really consider myself one.

And I also don't get this, we have a differing opinion thing either. That is fair enough but the poster does not have to agree with you anymore than you have to agree with them.

If others don't like them fine. It doesn't bother me, which is why I can joke about it.

No, Buy ME one

only joking, if that's all she wants and you are happy with it then why not?

WWW - as I said....I hadn't actually read the thread yet, but I've read lots of similar ones so I had a fair idea.

But yes, I will admit this thread is surprisingly tame for a games console one.