Minecraft turns children weird doesn't it?

[nevercackle]

Half term dilemma. DS2 (7) is back to banging on about playing on minecraft and I'm reluctant because as far as i can see children want to spend hours and hours and hours playing on it and become completely obsessed.

"But it's just like building lego" - So go play with your lego.
"But they even play it at school" - Well that will be why you don't know your times tables.
"But the gymnast Louis Smith plays computer games and he hasn't given up sport because of it" - Yeah, well i think you'll find he's twatting around on tv instead of doing any gymnastics these days.

And besides if they are on the computer, I can't be on mumsent

AIBU?

YANBU!

Although, the benefit of Minecraft is that they are nice and quiet for hours at a time a little while.

Nah. My dcs were weird long before they started playing Minecraft.

YA possibly BU. Would you have the same problem if he was curled up with a book for the same length of time?

I think Minecraft is probably no more brain rotting than reading dozens of Enid Blyton books which is what I was doing at that age.

Obviously there's got to be balance and I set time limits on ds1's minecrafting, but I enjoy playing it too, he plays with his friends as well as on his own and he's actually learned quite a bit from it as well as having lots of fun.

It bothers me when I ask what DS is doing on the game and he says cheerfully "just going into the Nether where I will spawn a Wither (which is a 3-headed skeleton with no legs) to defeat!"

Oh ok, so basically this game lets you go into the depths of hell to fight evil monsters and you're happy about it. Cool, totally appropriate for a 7 year old, no problem.

It's the chat about minecraft that I really object to mind you. I don't really need a block by block account of how they were building an underwater den and then friend A's dog died and then friend B blew up friend C's redstone contraption with TNT "by mistake" and then friend C said he was logging off forever but then he didn't and they made up and then friend B gave friend C some potions and doesn't Stampylongnose know lots about minecraft and can ds1 be a Creeper for Halloween and how do I think we should make his Creeper costume and what type of planks do I think he should use for the floor of the underwater den and do I realise you can actually grow trees underwater if you have enough light...

Sleepy

It is obsessive, which is why it is so popular. Same is probably true of all successful computer games. And most of them mess with your head/emotions, particularly if you get engrossed, then have to return to reality with a bump.

You either a) ban it/them all completely, b) give in and let their brains go soggy c) set limits that you and they can live with. I find an hour or so OK, if you are very very clear about the limit and that if there is any whingeing/complaining about coming off the computer/stomping around afterwards then there is none tomorrow. I also find that it is worth having that hour as late in the day as possible, as it tends to mean that you are less likely to plan the rest of the day successfully once you have had your hour.

We opted for option c, and there have been battles, but there always are when growing up, yes? I also find it helps to teach the dcs how to timetable their downtime, expecially on rainy/cold days.

Mmmm. Agree with obsessiveness (in anything) needing careful managing, but brain sogginess? People used to say that about reading novels...

We have to restrict it and also restrict the time she spends on Youtube watching sodding stampylongnose videos (and we must never ever make fun of stampy).

But, it is a brilliant bargaining tool and she can only ever go on minecraft if she's done at least 15 minutes of mental maths and read a chapter of her book.

3 boys aged 7, 7 and 9....my life feels like it is dominated by Minecraft even though I restrict their screen time quite heavily.

I love that it's taught them about how electricity works (redstone), the properties of different materials (ties in nicely with the 9yo's topic from last term) and the stuff like having to have the right 'ingredients' to make e.g. a bed. I love that all 3 of mine seem to have different skills at it, one of the 7 yr olds is the best and fastest builder in creative mode and builds truly awesome (even to me) structures, the 9yo is good at strategy in survival mode and so forth. I wouldn't have survived the down time at swim club camp last weekend without tablets with minecraft on, knackered from pool I was happier they were minecrafting and discussing strategies and sharing worlds with each other than just watching tv (or sodding Stampy). They will build things to show and impress each other, suggests designs to each other so it's kind of co-operative.

They will design minecraft items on paper when screens are off, they read minecraft manuals and magazines as well....not all bad.

This morning they were playing a game with their cuddly toys, no screens on, 'how sweet' I thought'....only on closer inspection did I realize that the cuddly toys central to the game included 2x plush Mooshrooms, 2x plush Endermen, a plush Ocelot and a couple of plush Creepers and a Squid. Just hoping that Stampy (altho' bless him for being a fantastic bribe and child silencer in moments of need) never brings out a range of plush toys!

Oh god I sound like I've been brainwashed by Notch reading that back!

we've tried time limits of other stuff like the wii, but inevitably there is a meltdown when time is up. either the allocated time was hogged by one or they spent most of the time arguing over what to play. in the end, we usually just say they cant play and to get outside. i'd rather deal with a crying child with a skint knee from skateboarding than one whining about a computer game.

anyway, i bet it's great which is why i dont want them to start. i had a bloody farmville farm for about a year and i got obsessive, its best i dont give minecraft a go either.

have managed to get him packed off to a friend with no telly instead, sorted.

We've ended up putting a 2 hour limit to Minecraft per week, only at weekends. 10 year old was getting ridiculously obsessed about and was producing really sloppy homework, just so he could ask if he could go on the computer.

Yesterday, after 2 hours solid of him hitting a tennis ball against the wall of the house, practicing his return, I was so tempted to cave in and let him have it back

And in answer to your OP, I would say no altogether to a 7 year old, without the slightest hesitation.

Video games are great for children.

If your kids are actively playing Minecraft on a computer (maybe socially online as well) then it's got to be better than them sitting there on the floor passively watching all those brainwashing Disney films.

we were reluctant, didn't think 7 year old was old enough but turns out we were wrong. He only plays in creative mode not survival and not linked to any other players and on the ipad which is much easier than PC for his age. We are amazed at the structures he has built, the problem solving and creativity he has shown and much prefer it to the games where things are just zapped or whatever. With any games/ipad time there must be a time limit as easy to get sucked in so it is no different in that respect. it is a great 'carrot' to get them to do homework/tidy room etc.

DD (13) is obsessed with Minecraft, I bought her a creeper hoodie for her birthday and she practically never takes it off! She's always telling me about things she's built and I just have to nod and pretend I know what she's talking about
Thankfully she isn't a Stampy worshipper, she prefers LDShadowLady (whoever that is) who has a less annoying voice.

I have mixed feelings about this.

Minecraft is one of the least bad things that a child can be playing on a PC or console, and can be helpful in helping children with mouse/keyboard/logoc/language skills.

If a child is playing to the disctraction of everything else then it can become a problem, but I think the PC has been a positive influence for my son ( now 17). His early teenage years has seen him in his bedroom safe and warm, unlike some other kids at 14/15 smoking and drinking on the street.
He has come fist in his year for Computing and Physics and hoping to study software engineering at University.

So in all the Pc ( despite turning my DS into an ubergeek) has been a great thing for my kids.

It has brought my 14year old together with friends, and in RL too!. And it is a brilliant bargaining tool.

A 7year old, yes, I'd set more limits on time spent on there

When you have a child who is obsessed with Minecraft you tell them to get on with their school work and get on with their degree

Then the little &&&&& goes and lands a pensioned job - through playing Minecraft
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/about/news/2014/gb-minecraft-2.html

Actually his mum is really, really proud - she's a friend of mine.

It has a very unpleasant effect on my DS (obsession and extreme stroppiness when told to stop, even with plenty of warning) and as such is limited to one hour a week, on a Friday after school. Any fuss at stopping means none the following week. I wish we'd never bought the bloody game tbh - was DP's idea.

Totally different from books or Lego IME.

I don't understand Minecraft at all but like others I'm impressed by the stuff dd has built in creative mode. A giant minecraft Princess Twilight Sparkle amongst others.

my ds learnt about rocks and geology from minecraft. also we went to visit the hellfire caves and he rebuilt it with minecraft

everything in moderation

Its turned my DS 8 into a obsessive and he loves nothing more than his hour a night building stuff, then their is the annoying Stampylongnose videos he loves. Keeps him quiet though.

Oh my son is obsessed with this. He's seven , only plays in creative on the ipad, 30 minutes a day and two stampy videos maximum. It's all so weird. I knew I was officially old when I realised I couldn't make head nor tail of stampy.

What is it with Stampy and that squid guy?