Would you buy a nintendo ds?

[miracleone]

My soon to be 8 year old daughter has been requesting for a Nintendo DS since last Christmas. Instead of having a birthday party at the swim center (which will cost us about $300) in the middle of hot July, she said she'll take a Nintendo Ds and maybe just treat her friends to ice cream in the evening. I am hesitant to get her the Ds because I'm afraid it will "possessed" her and stifle creativity ?! I guess I'm afraid of the unknown...not knowing how obsessed my daughter will want to play with it all the time.

 

I had told her that "if" we get her the ds, it will come with rules; that she can only play with it when school work and reading are done and when she has a good attitude about it. She has agreed. Yet...why I am still apprehensive? (I think also it's because some of her 'friends' whom I admire do not have a ds...because their parents are conservative and do not like video games for their kids. They believe that kids should not focus on small screens to play games but can play computer games using the home computer and also read books instead.)

 

I need some wise input please. Thank you.

[keptwoman]

Both our younger two have them. They go through phases of playing lots on them, and then other times when they are barely touched for weeks. I certainly have not found the children become slaves to their games, or that it stifles their other, more creative activities.

[dm379]

I have one and so do both my kids. We bought them used ($75ish each I think) because we were about to spend 30 hours in airports and airplanes. The only times they're allowed to play them is when we're on long trips of more than 3 hours. Otherwise they stay in the closet. I don't see anything wrong with them as long as they come with time limit rules.

 

There are lots of educational games you can buy for them. And there's no reason to buy anything more expensive than the ds lite, imo. I have the dsi and the additional features are great for me but really not needed for kids.

[Pata]

My 8 yo dd has one and I would get it for her again. Mainly she plays it when we are on long trips or on a rainy afternoon. I haven't regreted purchasing it for her.

[Guest aloysiuscarl]

I would buy it since I never finished the GBC version and I've always wanted to have it.e game you just must have is Advance wars: Dual strike . one of the best strategy games i've played, very simple but still great. alot of diffrent modes and multiplayer.

[Mom in High Heels]

Well, I'm in the no camp. I hate those kind of games. I hate seeing kids sitting in restaurants playing them or worse sitting on the playground playing them. Drives me crazy. Indy knows he won't get one. He asked once and we told him we didn't like them and why and that was that. He's never asked again.

[keptwoman]

I'd rather a kid sitting in a restaurant quietly playing one of those games than racing around the restaurant constantly. If we'd had a Nintendo DS when C was small, we might have got to actually go to a restaurant occasionally, as it was we decided it was better to stay home. It was such a rude shock after J who was always impeccably behaved at restaurants. Sitting in the playground however, I concur.

[tex-mex]

Wait 'til Christmas... I hear the new version of the DS (3D capability) is being released.

 

http://www.reghardware.com/2010/06/16/nintendo_3ds/

 

I have my own DS (I play Brain Age and Animal Crossing. LOL) My son has had all of the Nintendo handhelds from the original Gameboy (Color) to the DSi. He really wants the 3D version. I'm making him earn it. :D

Edited June 29, 2010 by tex-mex

[Pippen]

My daughter has never needed boundaries, just an occasional nudge to go do something else. She tends to use it on trips, in waiting rooms, and sometimes on days when she's really, really bored. A lot of girls I know are like this with theirs. She's liked Animal Crossing, Nintendogs, and Clubhouse Games the most.

 

My boys are another story.

[Guest CarolineUK]

I hate them. My eldest two would be complete slaves to them. We have had to institute rules and restrictions around their use - no DS from Sunday evening till Friday evening, and on Saturday and Sunday they can only play them after music practice. We also try to provide lots of other interesting activities over the weekend to limit their playing time. So we manage to avoid them being a huge problem, but all the same I really wish with all my heart that we'd never bought them.

 

Sometimes I do wonder, however, whether it might be the games they play (Pokemon) more than the DS itself that is so addictive, not sure ...

[Novafan]

I hate them. My eldest two would be complete slaves to them. We have had to institute rules and restrictions around their use - no DS from Sunday evening till Friday evening, and on Saturday and Sunday they can only play them after music practice. We also try to provide lots of other interesting activities over the weekend to limit their playing time. So we manage to avoid them being a huge problem, but all the same I really wish with all my heart that we'd never bought them.

 

Sometimes I do wonder, however, whether it might be the games they play (Pokemon) more than the DS itself that is so addictive, not sure ...

 

This is me too. Ugghhhh. My sister works for Nintendo so these DS's are a double-edged sword. We get games for free usually, so it's not a huge expense to us at all, but my oldest can be very addicted to his DS. Like you, we have a no DS from Sunday night - Friday night rule and it's limited on the weekends and sometimes we just lock them up for weeks at a time. All 3 of my kids have them (DD 6, DS 8, DS 10) and only the oldest has problems with limiting himself. And wouldn't you know, the game he loves to play the most is Pokemon. I too wonder if it's the game and not the system.

 

There are times that I love their DS's though. We travel a lot and move frequently and when we are on the road for hours or on a long plane ride it's nice for the kids to have them.

 

To the OP, if you have a plan and an agreement with your child about how much she can play, I think it could work for you.

[ChristusG]

We have a Nintendo DS. It's actually mine but DD6 has full access to it. We also have a Leapster as well as an iPod Touch with games/TV shows. The iPod Touch gets used the most. However, we've never had to put boundaries or restrictions on it. It does not even get used daily. I allow her to use it in the car, or sometimes on a break from school work for a while in the afternoon. But it has not been a problem. It just depends on what sort of kid you have.....some will want to play it all the time. I've found this to be true mostly about boys though. Some kids won't play it too much at all.

[gandpsmommy]

I understand your predicament very well. I was so hesitant to allow our kids to have any video games. I just didn't see any positive aspects to having them at all, and worried that our dc would choose to play them to the exclusion of other more worthwhile activities. I worried that monitoring their usage and limiting it to acceptable amounts would be a difficult task for me. And before we moved a few years ago, we had lived in a community of very natural, Waldorf-style homeschoolers. I think if we had continued living there buying video game systems might never have entered the kids' minds, because they just weren't something we really encountered often. Sure we knew of a few kids who had and played the little handheld games, but there were none in our circle of regular friends and acquaintances.

 

But dh lobbied for them. He didn't see the harm in allowing them to have and play them. He didn't see the big deal and felt that it would be fine, that our dc would easily learn balance and self-regulation. And he was right.

 

We started with Leapsters. There was actually a Star Wars game that I think ds got for free at a thrift shop that helped him master reading two and three-digit numbers. When they started outgrowing the Leapster games, dd asked for a Nintendo DS for her 7th birthday. I was again quite hesitant, but we got it for her.

 

It has been the easiest thing in the world to make sure she doesn't overuse it because she naturally gravitates toward physical activities, doing art projects, drawing and painting, and playing with friends. She really only plays her DS once in a while. On car rides sometimes she'll play it. And sometimes she'll go through phases where she plays it for a few minutes in the morning or at night time. But she's definitely not skipping out on other activities to play video games. It's such a non-issue. She does enjoy it, though, especially games like Cooking Mama and Gardening Mama. But she also helps cook and garden in real life, so it's not as if she's missing out on real life activities.

 

I was the same way about the Wii. Dh was offered an amazing deal on one that was used, from a friend who no longer wanted it. So, he bought it thinking that if I didn't want him to keep it for the kids he could resell it. I was so reluctant to let them keep it. I actually took a few days to decide.

 

But again, it hasn't been a big deal. It's great for the kids (ds mainly, dd plays it only occasionally) to have something to do on very cold winter days when getting outside for long periods is impractical, but on nice spring and summer days when he can be out exploring, playing with friends, fishing, swimming, playing in the sand, etc., he completely ignores it. In fact, there's one neighborhood boy who comes over in the spring/summer and wants to go inside and play the Wii. Ds tells him that he doesn't want to; he wants to play outside. If there's a summer day that's unbearably hot and we aren't going to the pool that day, he might play it for awhile, but eventually he'll find his way outside anyway. Once in a while in the fall/winter I might have to tell him that we're turning it off for the rest of the day because he's played it enough, but most of the time we don't even have to have rules about how long or when they are allowed to play it because it just isn't an issue.

 

When ds was turning six, he asked for a DS for his birthday. We got him one and he has loved it. He plays it much more than dd does, but still not excessively. It has been great for him to have at her interminably long gymnastics meets and at gymnastics practices. Sometimes he'll go through phases where he plays it at home, especially if he has just gotten a new game, but mostly he plays it on car rides and at gymnastics.

 

He still much prefers playing outside. He would never choose playing video games instead of playing with a friend, or going fishing, or swimming at the pool, or exploring a creek, or catching lightning bugs.

 

He does take it into a restaurant once in a while, but most of the time he doesn't and we just talk while we wait for our food, or if the restaurant has paper placemats and crayons we play tic-tac-toe and draw. I personally agree with the other poster who said that she'd rather see a child quietly playing a DS than running loudly around the restaurant. Our children have often been complimented on their good manners and polite behavior at restaurants, without any video games to distract them, but I also don't see anything wrong with allowing ds to play his DS while we wait, as long as the volume is low enough not to disturb other patrons.

[TheModestMom]

My dh and I have vowed that those type of games will not come into our home. We allow our children very limited time on the computer (starfall) and they constantly pester us to be able to do that. There is no way we are putting another temptation before them of games that will cause them to not want to go outside, etc. That is what is best for our family, you will know if you daughter would be become obsessed with it!

[kwg]

:iagree:

 

When we got ours my son played it continuously for several weeks. It was ridiculous! Any time we sat for even a second out popped the thing :glare:. I was worried but dh told me to give it time. After a few weeks that was it. He still plays it but it is just occasionally- like a couple of days every few months or something or a little more if he gets a new game. I wonder if I had made a big deal about it, would it still be an issue.

 

So in my opinion ;), if you get it for her do it at a time that if she wants to obsess for a few weeks no biggie and THEN if she doesn't self regulate, institute the rules and such.

[Night Elf]

Technology hasn't stifled the creativity or imagination of my children. We've never had a problem with tv, computers, or video games, and my children have been exposed to these things since birth. Just my .02. :)

[tennismomkelly]

My oldest DS has one. We travel a lot and I allow him to play with it in while traveling. He's very responsible and doesn't obsess over it so we haven't had any issues with it. He still gets plenty of exercise and free play time. If it became an obsession I would reevaluate our rules for playing with it.

[Wendy Inman]

I understand your concern too. I tend to want to be more waldorfy and not have those things, but DH and DS are just more tech-y and want the video games. From the start - I have a 1 hour a day media policy. He can choose TV, computer games, or DS for his "free hour" but that's it. He usually chooses computer games. The DS is mostly played on long car rides, excessive waiting times in line, etc.

 

Also - we did get a cool math game and i love being able to say "go practice your multiplication tables on your DS" somehow that is always acceptable but flash cards - not a chance LOL.

 

While i personally do not like take the DS to restaurants, my mother has custody of my nephew who is ADHD and there is no way we could ever go out to eat if he didn't have his.

 

Oh! My DS totally loves the camera capability! He looooves to take pictures with it. He takes it on our nature walks/bike rides a lot!

 

Bottom line - we've enjoyed having it and i would recommend it - with limits.

[michmom]

I'm in the "yes" camp with rules. My boys understood from the beginning that they could only use the DS at certain times and in certain places. They are not allowed to use the DS in the house, for example. They are allowed to use the DS when we are on long car rides or waiting somewhere. We also have limits on the type of games and, as mentioned, there are a lot of educational games including, now that they are older, SAT study games. I have one myself which was great for crosswords and similar games but I rarely use it now that I have an Ipod Touch which I and my boys much prefer.

 

Lynn

[rwjx2khsmj]

We plan to get one for my dd5 on her sixth birthday. My older kids have them and we've never had issues with use.

[TN Mama]

Well, I'm in the no camp. I hate those kind of games. I hate seeing kids sitting in restaurants playing them or worse sitting on the playground playing them. Drives me crazy. Indy knows he won't get one. He asked once and we told him we didn't like them and why and that was that. He's never asked again.

 

When dh and I discussed getting these for the girls we also discussed the USE of the ds. We have rules and the systems actually stay in our room. No ds in restaurants or outside. We take them in the car for long trips, use on a rainy day, or they can earn time by reading x number of minutes.

 

I have friends who allow their children to play them without restriction. These $$$ systems have been ruined at the swimming pool, stolen off the school bus, etc.

 

It isn't the toy that's the problem, imo, but the way some tend to use it as a babysitter.

[hsbaby]

My older two have them and it's never been a problem. In fact, we don't limit other technology (except at the playground, when we have guests, etc.) and we don't have any issues with obsessiveness. I think because access has never been strictly limited, they have sort of a take it or leave it attitude.

[NanceXToo]

My 9 year old daughter has one. She saved almost half of the money for it herself by doing chores, saving allowance, having a lemonade stand, and then we paid for the rest of it for her third grade 'graduation' present at the end of the 2008/2009 school year.

 

There are times where she plays it a lot, when she gets really into a new game. (Some of which are pretty educational, by the way!)

 

There are also times where she barely touches it. I have not found that it has "stifled her creativity" or anything like that. She's always more interested in playing outside with friends and doing fun, creative things, but when she's not busy with other things, she likes to play her DS.

 

Her little brother sometimes likes to play it, too.

 

And it's come in VERY handy on long car trips when the kids need something to do other than whining about how bored they are or asking if we're there yet. :)

[Disney Dreaming]

Technology hasn't stifled the creativity or imagination of my children. We've never had a problem with tv, computers, or video games, and my children have been exposed to these things since birth. Just my .02. :)

 

:iagree:

[Ellen_TX]

Well, I'm in the no camp. I hate those kind of games. I hate seeing kids sitting in restaurants playing them or worse sitting on the playground playing them. Drives me crazy. Indy knows he won't get one. He asked once and we told him we didn't like them and why and that was that. He's never asked again.

 

We don't have one and are not purchasing one at this point. I am very distressed to see kids playing these games while sitting in shopping carts at Target...a big kid 9 or 10. Or yesterday being lead across the street by parent while playing DS.

 

A friend recently took her 16 year old out for a practice drive and told him to get to HWY 50. He reached for the GPS and she said no just drive there and he didn't know how to get there because in his words "Mom I don't know the names of the streets and stuff. We have had either DS or car DVD for the last seven years." Now that is more parent and boundaries then the game.:driving:

 

The kicker was last week at the library's met a camel event. A women was trying to take pictures of of girls and the camel and yelled "Girls put down the DS so I can take a picture of you with this real life camel."

 

Again it is more about setting limits but I am not willing to invest in this type of techie toy. If he still wants one when he is older he can work and save for it.

[jujsky]

I think as long as it comes with rules, it will be fine. We got our kids a Leapster, and I'm also opposed to small gaming systems because many kids DO seem to become obsessed with them. We specifically got it so they would have something to do in waiting rooms while one kid is in an activity & their sibling is not. We have rules, and other than a few problems initially while the kids adjusted to the rules there have been no issues.

[Mom0012]

Both my kids have them and sometimes they are nice to have. For example, when we have to wait for a long time at a doctor's office. Most of the time, I wish I had never bought them because it's just one more thing for me to manage limits on. I am really torn about how much electronics usage is "okay" but I also don't want my son, in particular, to be totally out of the loop about these games because all of his friends play them.

 

Lisa

[fivetails]

Technology hasn't stifled the creativity or imagination of my children. We've never had a problem with tv, computers, or video games, and my children have been exposed to these things since birth. Just my .02. :)

 

:iagree:

[Joanne]

Yes.

 

I have read all the "stuff" about screens and kids. I've had addicted to video games kids in my daycare. I've seen screen-hyperfocused kids.

 

I believe that a game system, with rules and a child not prone to screen addiction, can be a part of a healthy family with balanced, reasonable play.

[Truscifi]

Ds6 has started asking for one, and will probably get it for his next bday. We already have a limit on electronics time each day, so this would be another option for him to use during that time. We got a Wii for christmas last year and ds played like crazy for a while, now only place it about once a week, sometimes less. He likes to use his electronics time to watch documentaries. Go figure.

[Parrothead]

Technology hasn't stifled the creativity or imagination of my children. We've never had a problem with tv, computers, or video games, and my children have been exposed to these things since birth. Just my .02. :)

:iagree:This is us.

[simka2]

I'm in the "go ahead" catergory! All 3 of my older kids have them and they are great on long trips, rainy, or too hot days. We do limit them...they get grounded from them. It happens! ;)

 

Just yetsterday I overheard ds5 say to dd9 "when you save up to get your DSi, will you pass your DS on to me?" OH, it was soooooo cute!

[Jann in TX]

Only because I'm using my I-pad!

 

I don't expect her to play more than 15-20 minutes total today... she just plays a round or 'level' of her game then saves and quits.

 

We have never had problems with her being 'obsessed'... but if she did we would just give her some limits...

 

DD LOVES chocolate--but she does not get it everyday--and she does not complain about it either... we just have a limit...

 

I was once addicted to a computer game. It was NOT the computer's fault--I was suffering from a deep depression... once I got help for that I lost interest in my computer game...

 

BTW--my dd's DS has not stifled her creativity or her HUGE imagination... it is just one more thing she can be creative with--and she is practicing/learning great problem solving skills at the same time!

[vettechmomof2]

nope but we do have an electronic Yahtzee and Simon game for car trips that we all take turns on.

[happi duck]

Both our younger two have them. They go through phases of playing lots on them, and then other times when they are barely touched for weeks. I certainly have not found the children become slaves to their games, or that it stifles their other, more creative activities.

 

:iagree:

[Jilly]

 

I believe that a game system, with rules and a child not prone to screen addiction, can be a part of a healthy family with balanced, reasonable play.

 

:iagree:

[WishboneDawn]

I think you shouldn't give an inanimate electronic device more such power. They can't "possess" children.

 

Certainly children can be on them too much but I find that happens with kids that a) have hobby or family vacuums that need filling, b) or prone to addictive behaviour anyway, c) have new games or uses for the devices that they need to work through for awhile.

 

If you're kids aren't dealing with a) then they should be okay. If they're dealing with b) then the issue is something that they need to learn to deal with and a DS might be a good low-risk way to help them with that. If the issue is c) then it generally takes care of itself and they'll play like crazy for a bit and then forget they have it for a week. Much like most people do with new interests, hobbies or toys.

 

My kids play together with their DSs, my daughter writes stories based on DS games, my son plays racing games on it with DH, I give them quizes with the pictochat feature, they have little cards that let them listen to music, read ebooks and watch movies on their DS's (I think you can do much of that without the card with the DSi). A friend creates videos and pictures on her DSi and uploads them to the internet.

 

There's a lot of creativity and value to be found in a DS if you put aside fears. :)

[WishboneDawn]

I was once addicted to a computer game. It was NOT the computer's fault--I was suffering from a deep depression... once I got help for that I lost interest in my computer game...

 

BTDT! As with most problems addiction to games points to something wrong with a person, not the game system. If it hadn't have been a game for me it would likely have been books. In fact I KNOW it would as I have spent much time in the past hiding behind the pages of a novel rather then deal with real life or whatever was really wrong.

[miracleone]

Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom. I appreciate them all. We "might" get her one this year...dd said she can have a park bday party and ice cream social there. This would save money :) to be able to buy her the Nintendo later. (Now, do we get a ds, ds lite, dsi? ?)

[WishboneDawn]

Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom. I appreciate them all. We "might" get her one this year...dd said she can have a park bday party and ice cream social there. This would save money :) to be able to buy her the Nintendo later. (Now, do we get a ds, ds lite, dsi? ?)

 

DSi. A DS Lite is, for most, just a games console. A DSi is capable of so much more and opens a lot more creative doors.

[rafiki]

.

[laundrycrisis]

You know your own child. IMO that has a lot to do with it.

 

I know from experience (XBox) that our boys would become obsessed with it. About two months ago I flipped and took away access to the Xbox and all their games (even hid them from DH) for an extended period of time and it's made a huge difference in our home. Video games are not good for my kids' state of mind. In our case they really do have a huge negative effect on their behavior. It shows up as 24/7 frustration, grouchiness, being generally uncooperative, and frequent fights. Not to mention being completely unwilling to work on less fun things like vision therapy practice, violin practice, and school work.

 

Other reasons I don't want one of these little video things are

 

1. the small screen size and low contrast -DS1 has serious vision issues and we are spending buckets of $$$ on vision therapy for him and working very hard for him to learn to read. I only want him engaged in visual activities that are good visual hygiene right now. (came back to add - I think for him to focus on these little screens he would suppress his amblyopic eye, which is the habit we are working so hard with vision therapy to break so I don't want to give him opportunities to reinforce it)

 

2. the cost - the device and the games are small, expensive, and easily lost or damaged, and we have a careless 7 yo and our 4 yo tends to be messy, destructive, and has a gift for "disappearing" things. No, no no.

 

3. I want them to find something more enriching to do.

 

4. social behavior - I hate the way it's becoming acceptable for a person to be in a social situation but sit there and fiddle with their little device. I hate the way these things are replacing real social interaction. I have a friend who insists her DD does not have an obsession with her device - and yet she brings her device to parties and playdates, and sits and plays with it alone. Several times I've had kids come over for playdates and show up with one of these, and end up wanting to sit by themselves and play on their device. :glare: I've seen the kids in our cul-de-sac all sit down outside and play separate games on their DSs...instead of playing a real game with real children they are a few feet from on a beautiful day. :001_huh:

 

Also, since my DH got his android phone a few weeks ago, he constantly has that thing in his face. He no longer sits and talks to us without having his attention divided between us and something he is looking at on his phone. It's driving me NUTS. I know that our kids would be the same way with a DS, and I would be driven to smash them under the van. :lol: So no DSs here.

 

Came back to add: I realize there are some kids who can enjoy a DS without it becoming an obsession - if I had one of those, who was also careful with expensive and small things, and who would not have problems with limits on it or use it as a substitute for real social contact, I would not mind one. I just know it will not work for my kids.

Edited June 30, 2010 by laundrycrisis

[iquilt]

We have a big trip coming up and all three will have DS's for the trip. They all had leapsters but are mostly outgrown at this point.

[kwickimom]

My soon to be 8 year old daughter has been requesting for a Nintendo DS since last Christmas. Instead of having a birthday party at the swim center (which will cost us about $300) in the middle of hot July, she said she'll take a Nintendo Ds and maybe just treat her friends to ice cream in the evening. I am hesitant to get her the Ds because I'm afraid it will "possessed" her and stifle creativity ?! I guess I'm afraid of the unknown...not knowing how obsessed my daughter will want to play with it all the time.

 

I had told her that "if" we get her the ds, it will come with rules; that she can only play with it when school work and reading are done and when she has a good attitude about it. She has agreed. Yet...why I am still apprehensive? (I think also it's because some of her 'friends' whom I admire do not have a ds...because their parents are conservative and do not like video games for their kids. They believe that kids should not focus on small screens to play games but can play computer games using the home computer and also read books instead.)

 

I need some wise input please. Thank you.

 

WOW are we twins lol? I have an almost 8DD with an August bday and she has been asking for one since Christmas also. We were also planning a pool party and she wants the DS instead. Weird, huh? :001_smile:

 

I have the exact same issues with it as you do. We only own a Super Nintendo and I rarely let them play it. The only reason I am leaning towards it is because my family lives 5 hours away and we visist at least once a month, and this would be a good thing for the car ride. I had found a leapster at Once Upon a Child for $20 with 7 games. i bought that for the kids to play in the car and ONLY in the car. It has been wonderful.

 

I plan on making an incentive chart for it. If she does her chores and schoolwork cheerfully, etc then she earms an hour of play. My DD LOVES computer games so i can see her becoming addicted to it. She is also an avid reader and I do not want her to lose that drive. At the first sign that the DS is becoming a problem I will take it away, birthday gift or not. I myself struggle with being on the computer more than I read...hmmmm maybe she learns from mommy? :D

[miracleone]

WOW are we twins lol? I have an almost 8DD with an August bday and she has been asking for one since Christmas also. We were also planning a pool party and she wants the DS instead. Weird, huh? :001_smile:

 

I have the exact same issues with it as you do. We only own a Super Nintendo and I rarely let them play it. The only reason I am leaning towards it is because my family lives 5 hours away and we visist at least once a month, and this would be a good thing for the car ride. I had found a leapster at Once Upon a Child for $20 with 7 games. i bought that for the kids to play in the car and ONLY in the car. It has been wonderful.

 

I plan on making an incentive chart for it. If she does her chores and schoolwork cheerfully, etc then she earms an hour of play. My DD LOVES computer games so i can see her becoming addicted to it. She is also an avid reader and I do not want her to lose that drive. At the first sign that the DS is becoming a problem I will take it away, birthday gift or not. I myself struggle with being on the computer more than I read...hmmmm maybe she learns from mommy? :D

 

Yes, we are twins! My dd is going to be 8 in July. She is also an avid reader and like to play computer games (mostly webkinz or girly dress-up games). She has a leapster but has outgrown the games now. My niece (who is 30 years old) just asked me today if she can just give my dd her old Nintendo DS. I think hubby has agreed because it's free :lol: and we'll see...

 

Instead of a pool party, we're going to have a park party with scavenger hunt and a few team games.

[Starr]

I had to set strict time limits with one of my children. You just have to be prepared that if it doesn't work at your house you will set limits or get rid of it. Most of the time I think they are quite manageable.

[Mommyof4ks]

Both our younger two have them. They go through phases of playing lots on them, and then other times when they are barely touched for weeks. I certainly have not found the children become slaves to their games, or that it stifles their other, more creative activities.

 

This is how it is with my dd too. She was obessed with it when she first got her ds, but after about a week it was left on her desk most of the day. Now she will play it a lot for a while and then it will sit on a shelf for a while. Try not to be too strict. I find that backfires more than it helps. ;)

[KarenNC]

A friend recently took her 16 year old out for a practice drive and told him to get to HWY 50. He reached for the GPS and she said no just drive there and he didn't know how to get there because in his words "Mom I don't know the names of the streets and stuff. We have had either DS or car DVD for the last seven years." Now that is more parent and boundaries then the game.:driving:

 

I have to say that I was this kid, but my problem was that I had had my nose buried in a book every time I was in a car (to the extent of trying to read by the headlights of the car behind us at night;)).

 

My almost 10 yo has wanted one for two years or more. We have hesitated for many of the reasons listed here (getting obsessed, anti-social, etc) as well as the fact that the used ipod she got for Yule a year ago disappeared after a fairly short period. At this point, she has been told for several months that she can buy one if she saves up for it (and knows how much a used one is), but she has not made any move to actually save any money at all so far.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

We bought one for DS. He plays it whenever he gets a new game which is not often. I play it every day. I am a Sudoku fanatic and I play it for about 10 mins or so in the morning to get my brain going.

[keptwoman]

I have to say that I was this kid, but my problem was that I had had my nose buried in a book every time I was in a car (to the extent of trying to read by the headlights of the car behind us at night;)).

My DH is still like that, he just doesn't take much notice of where we are going if he isn't driving.