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Does your 2nd grader play Halo?

Murphy101
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Does your 2nd grader play Halo (or similar style/rated games)?  

  1. 1. Does your 2nd grader play Halo (or similar style/rated games)?

    • Yes and with friends online
      4
    • Yes but not online
      15
    • No but they watch others in the house play and want to too
      9
    • No, those games are not played by or around my 2nd grader
      181
    • Obligatory other
      13

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Murphy101

Murphy101

Posted
Posted (edited)

During the Thanksgiving gathering today, the grandkids and their second cousins were playing Wii.

 

Unfortunately, the oldest two of the cousins, both 2nd graders, were very disdainful of playing any of the games because they are used to playing far more mature games. Specifically Halo. Both have all the latest versions and play online with their classmates.

 

Wth? Really?

 

These cousins live in two different states, and both go to "nice" schools.

 

I'm curious to know if this is really that typical?

Edited by Martha
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Heather in WI

Heather in WI

Posted
Posted

We don't even let our 5th grader play those games! Eeek!

 

I wouldn't consider us particularly squeamish about playing with guns ... heck, we even let our 5 year old shoot the bb gun (with adult supervision, of course).

 

But, these games are rated Mature for a reason. We checked out Call of Duty (it was $4.99 at Goodwill) with the idea of letting our oldest possibly play it and decided within 5 minutes that he would have to wait a few years.

 

I'm :blink: that someone would think these games are appropriate for a second grader!

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kristavws

kristavws

Posted
Posted

On the rare occasion that they are together during the holidays, because we live over 2,000 miles away from each other, my dh and my brother gleefully play Halo while sipping on eggnog and whiskey. This occurs after all the kids are in bed. I would never let my boys, 7 and 10, play or watch.

 

krista

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Renee in NC

Renee in NC

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We don't have it, but I imagine if we did that dh would play it and the kids would watch. I don't think my 2nd grade age ds would care about playing it at all, but my 12yo might.

 

I get less squeamish/upset over war games than things like Grand Theft Auto. However, I was very upset by the recent Call of Duty commercials (I felt they totally disrespected those serving in the war now.) So, maybe I would have a fit about it.

 

Dh generally doesn't limit what the dc watch at all.;)

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Ravin

Ravin

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DD is only allowed to play on the Xbox in our livingroom when her stepbrothers are visiting. She plays with them, whatever games they play. I don't think they have Halo specifically, but certainly some of the games are rather violent.

 

Honestly her attention span for an advanced game like that would be short; she can't do very well at them because they're too complicated for her, and she gets frustrated. Mostly they play things like Fable or Lord of the Rings games which are no more violent than the movies (which I let her watch when she was 4). There is at least one street fighter/combat type game that's rather bloody (don't remember the name) that DD likes.

 

If I ever see something on the screen that bothers me having DD playing/watching, I ask them not to play it with her around, but I can't think of any games I've forbidden off the top of my head.

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snipsnsnailsx5

snipsnsnailsx5

Posted
Posted

Yes for Halo, but definitely not online. I've seen the online play before when my DH had Xbox Live the first year he had his Xbox. If you are playing against random strangers...you get all kinds of swearing. So absolutely not.

 

That said, I draw the line at certain games which is 99% of M for Mature games. However, I've tried to get rid of Halo many times but my Dh (who is a video gamer also) assures me that Halo isn't "that" bad. Yes it has guns and shooting, but the objects you are shooting are aliens...who have blue/green blood. Not sure how that makes it better, but I guess it has to do with the fantasy aspect, and not very reality-based.

 

My absolutely-not-budging policy on video games is #1 Acts of extreme violence other then guns, or if the graphics are particularly bad...such as Fallout, which my Dh has and I watched him play it the first time and decided that the boys couldn't even be in the room when he plays it., #2 Extreme/excessive swearing. Halo occasionally says "b*stard" which is NOT allowed in this house to say at all. But I wouldn't put it in the extreme swearing category., #3 Sexual content - Inappropriately dressed girls or any thing of a sexual nature.

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Food4Thought

Food4Thought

Posted
Posted

I have played Halo, several of the Call of Duty games, Assassin's Creed, and many other M rated games. My kids don't get to watch. I cringe when I hear that our youth group kids (junior high and young high school) are playing some of those games. They are rated M for a reason.

 

And I consider myself lax about video games, because DS gets to play quite a bit (games like Viva Pinata, Portal, Marble Blast Ultra, N+, etc). MIL is constantly rolling her eyes when he's talking about some game he's been playing. But there is no way I will let him play Halo online anytime in the next 8 or 9 years, at least.

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mom31257

mom31257

Posted
Posted

I voted other because I don't know what Halo is. We decide games based on what is going on in them. We have some computer games, like Age of Empires, that are rated for older, but we've played them and don't feel that the violence in them is bad at all, so we let our 2nd grade ds play them. Each game is a separate decision and we decide once we see it, not by the rating.

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Carrie12345

Carrie12345

Posted
Posted

I voted other, because neither of the nos were quite accurate for us.

 

My 2nd (and 3rd, and even 7th) grader does not play it. Occasionally, it may be on when they're awake, but doing other things in the general area. None of them have expressed any interest in playing, and I wouldn't allow them to (at least, not the youngers) even if they did. I'd probably be on the fence if the 12yo asked.

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Night Elf

Night Elf

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Posted

Other: My ds14 didn't start playing rated M games until about age 11 or 12. I don't ban any of them in my home. They are rather stupid games, IMHO. But then again, we all have opinions. :) I don't believe in giving power to forbidden things. Funny thing though. Ds14 doesn't like horror or violent movies but thinks first-person shooter games are totally different. Most of the ones he plays are zombie related which I find rather squicky. I'll stick to Mario and Zelda, thank you.

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NanceXToo

NanceXToo

Posted
Posted

I'm not familiar with Halo but my kids are the only kids on the block who are not allowed to play OR watch Grand Theft Auto. My nephews have been playing it since they were 6 years old (they are 7 now, still playing), and the other boy who lives on our street (he's 9 now) he's been playing it for a long time, too.

 

Grand Theft Auto, Vice City. Extreme violence, killing police, having sex with prostitutes and beating them to death, drugs, stealing cars, all sorts of crazy things, and that's what their playing.

 

I don't know what Halo is about but i don't think it can GET any worse than letting your 6 and 7 and 8 year olds play GTA!

 

I told my daughter (who is now 10) she is NOT allowed to play it, she is NOT allowed to watch it, her friends are NOT allowed to bring it over here on their little handheld games, and if they start playing it at their house while she's over, she's to come home.

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Murphy101

Murphy101

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My dh plays call of duty after the younger kids go to bed and I don't have a problem with it for older kids, maybe 12+. It's almost more a world war reenactment with the player being the good guys. Occasional swearing, but honestly we've heard worse walking about in public.

 

But the other two are far more graphic and gratuitous in their violence, IMHO.

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EarleneW

EarleneW

Posted
Posted

Halo Reach is the game of choice right now among my 13 year old and his friends and yes, my 8 year old does play with his brother some....and yes they do play live with his friends in SC and FL. However, he is only allowed to talk to his friends in a private chatroom and does not speak with anyone else on live. He has asked for Call of Duty Black Ops for Christmas and is not getting it due to the realistic violance. Halo is more alian based and while it wouldn't be my 1st choice in video games there are definatly worse.

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*********

*********

Posted
Posted

I know what Halo *is, and would not allow any of my children to play it or watch it being played.

 

However, neither Moose or Zee would know what it is, but as soon as a child put it in and began playing it, they would come let me know, and would not want to participate. They are both very sensitive to violence, since they are not exposed to it much at all.

 

(Not a judgement or slam on anyone, just the way my family does things. :))

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Mama2Many4

Mama2Many4

Posted
Posted

I voted other. We don't own Halo, nor have we ever played it, but we have an Xbox 360 and Wii that we do have zombie games for. My second grader and first grader do play them for an hour as a reward for a good school day. To us, it's no different than them playing guns and death with soldier play. I don't allow games with bad language though.

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HLDoll

HLDoll

Posted
Posted

Hell. No. My husband and three grown brothers play it all the time, either after the kids go to bed, or with the basement door shut and locked and the kids set up with a movie in another part of the house. But there's no way I'd be OK with small children watching or playing that game.

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Lady Florida.

Lady Florida.

Posted
Posted

Several years ago were given an Xbox (not 360) and a bunch of games, including Halo 1 and 2. Ds has been asking to play them ever since, and we've said no. He turned 13 in Sept., and we just last month said yes (and just recently said yes to Call of Duty too). I would not allow it if he was the age of a 2nd grader.

 

We have a Wii, and have no intention of buying any other game system. He wants Halo Reach, so he's saving his money to buy an Xbox 360. It's quite a motivator for him.

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Renthead Mommy

Renthead Mommy

Posted
Posted

I voted other.

 

We don't have any sort of video games. We're not against them, we don't forbid them, we (husband and I) just have zero interest in them. I'm pretty easy going on what we watch, but I wouldn't let him play it even if all of it magically appeared here one day. Granted I don't know a thing about it, but based on the rating and what I've heard, it wouldn't happen.

 

My son is allowed to play Wii at his friends' houses. One friend has the sports, fitness and M&M car racing and the other has a Star Wars game. Something about unleashing the force. He's allowed to play them when he's over there, and they do play, but that is never their primary activity. If it ever becomes the primary activity, we'll make some restrictions.

 

My 3rd grader would like a wii or a ds, and people are constantly telling me we should get him one for the car and the waiting around times. Well he's done fine without till now (especially since he can read chapter books and such!). We've told him we're not spending that kind of money on something like that. Something he can only do maybe once or twice a week for 30 minutes or so. We've also talked about how much games are and once you master them, then you have to go buy a whole new game. He seems to except this with no problem.

 

He is allowed to play Adventure Quest online. You play only yourself adn it's got a Midevil, LOTR creatures, knights with quest type of thing. He's allowed to play when he remembers to ask. And if he doesn't think if it till schools is out, then often he can't because the 3,000 free slots are used up. He's asked for paid membership before but has been told he doesn't need it since he can play during the daytime for free.

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Mrs Mungo

Mrs Mungo

Posted
Posted

We don't have HALO, we do have Call of Duty, Tomb Raider, etc. DH and I play them. Our eldest plays Tomb Raider sometimes, but my kids would rather play Mario and such. They aren't allowed to play Call of Duty. I play Mario with them, so I guess they don't think of it as strictly a game for little kids. My younger kids only play online games in which you cannot free chat.

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FO4UR

FO4UR

Posted
Posted
not by my 2nd grader...not by my 11th grader...NOT IN MY HOUSE! Period..end of discussion. :D

 

~~Faithe

 

:iagree:...though I don't have an 11th grader, if I did the answer would still be no...not just b/c of the content of the game but b/c of the addictive nature of gaming itself.

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Audrey

Audrey

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Posted
not by my 2nd grader...not by my 11th grader...NOT IN MY HOUSE! Period..end of discussion. :D

 

~~Faithe

 

 

There are very few things to which I will say "not in my house. Period." Violent games and violent toys (whether for kids or grown-ups) are definitely on that short list, though.

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Nakia

Nakia

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Posted

I didn't vote because my girls have no interest in anything like that and neither do I (or dh, for that matter). My 8 year old nephew asked me for Halo for Christmas, and I didn't even know what it was. When I looked it up, I was like :blink: Anyway, I'm not getting it for him, but my brother (his dad) is. Whatever. I actually hate those violent games. They make me really panicky. My girls are getting a Wii for Christmas, and we are going to be having fun with Just Dance and Mario. :D

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