SNES & pen knife as presents for an 8 year old boy.

[Catladyagain]

My son is turning 8. We have promised to bring a games console into the house but I have said no to the new generation because of Online dangers and mainly because of the way modern gaming is now designed to be extremely addictive. He tried Roblox and the meltdowns were unreal. Hubs is broadly on side but feels son will be very disappointed by the appearance of the wires / clearly older piece of kit. Admittedly I've tried to sell in the benefits of 2nd hand / pre-loved & failed after several clothes items and toys broke or looked rough - so this could be an underlying issue.

Has anyone successfully given their child a SNES when they've played Switch at friends?

Also has anyone given their 8 year old a pen knife? I'm super keen to do this too. Hubs is terrified of the idea and thinks its very dangerous. We have a very cautious child who has wittled at forest school & has great dexterity from lego play, so with some initial set up and supervision I am totally unconcerned. Thanks!

Given that most children don't take their consoles into school the risk of them taking a knife seems slim. Plus, they will have knives in the kitchen drawer at home so why don't all children take them in??

We're very happy with our switch - DS doesn't go online with it at all. I would advise that you learn to use it too, and play it with him. I like that it's so easy to use as a family - mario kart in particular is good fun and easy to pick up.

SNES and a pen knife? Do you imagine you’re living in a Steven Spielberg movie or something? Get him a switch and don’t connect it to the internet. There’s being cautious of the dangers of the internet and there’s raising a kid like the one in About A Boy.

I have a gaming husband, so we have xbox, ps, Nintendo, oldest has a gaming laptop as he creates his own games/codes and is a tech genius; it is his passion and what he wants to do, so I don't stand in the way.
Youngest will play some games but with somebody and having fun. My only rules are no screens at table and not allowed in bedrooms.
Screens aren't a novelty for them so they're not using them excessively. They're usually playing with toys, me or dh and doing other things, so I don't really have to police it.

Op, I wouldn't get a pen knife incase of an accident.

You can have a Switch not connected to the internet. Old ones are super chrap second hand. Can't see why older tech would be better in any way tbh.
Nothing wrong with a penknife if he knows how to use it.

If he goes to Cubs they will be using penknives, also.

Get the poor kid a switch. It's one to the most family friendly, versatile gaming consoles there is.

There's a lot of fear and lack of understanding about gaming amongst some parents which is a shame. I am not a gamer but I have seen my children thrive and get so much joy from safe gaming.

Back when I was a boy in the 60s nobody would have thought twice about giving an 8 y o boy a penknife.

You can get any new games console and refuse to buy the online membership.

I've just seen a lovely photo of a local Beavers group.( age 6 -8) sitting on the beach, whittling sticks to use for cooking over an open fire. Supervised and with purpose, a knife is a great present.

Many people in Finland tend to spend a lot of time in remote forests, hunting, fishing etc. I dare say children who live in Alaska learn how to use a knife fairly early too. Bear Grylls skills could come in quite handy with that lifestyle.

Not quite the same set-up in Britain is it?

The human beings are the same though, so if a Finnish 8 year old can be taught to safely use a knife, other 8 year olds can too

We bought DS as child's Swiss Army knife at my suggestion when he was 8. He's got to ask to leave the house with it. He loves whittling with it. He's 12 now and has managed to never take it somewhere inappropriate.

No to either, are you joking about the one knife do you want him to be arrested!

@Hamelathe new modern one connecting to TV using HDMI must be the one we have - loads of pre loaded games. I play Super Mario World with my son. I was rubbish at it as a child and wasn’t allowed one.

I am now 45 and probably more addicted to it than my nearly 7 year old son is!

Um, try Lego or or a nice book?

Many of them live in cities and rarely, if ever, see remote forests. They're still expected to be able to use a knife safely, they have to use them at school after all, so parents tend to teach them.

We have a switch. DC has restricted time on it and we don't let him play roblox. There are loads of other games that can be played entirely offline.

My son went to forest school, during school holidays, from age 6.
I have photos of him whittling sticks and setting fires.
All meals were cooked over an open fire, and all children were expected to contribute.
Even toddlers collected kindling.
They knew how to use compost toilets; how to put a shovel of soil/sawdust down, after a poo!
A knife is a tool, when children are taught to respect it, not a weapon.

You can buy children’s Swiss Army knives from Victorinox. They are blunter, with a rounded end to the blade. You can still whittle. You can also have a nice chain attached or holster and have a name engraved into it.
As long are there are rules with the knife - not to go to school. Lives in x place unless being used with permission.
Stay away from the games consoles - of any kind for as long as you can.

I'd go for a decent, fixed-blade, whittling knife rather than a folding penknife. Explain the do's and don't's of owning a knife. Clearly you think he's a sensible lad otherwise you wouldn't be considering this.

That's where I got my son's first 'Swiss army knife' from.

He has, since, bought a much better, more flexible one.
I have zero regrets.