Xmas presents - boycotting computer games/screens

[GSOchristie]

So I'm curious, for those whose kids have multiple gaming devices, how much time on average do they spend on said devices each day? And how much play time does each device get? Why does one need a ps3 and a ps4? Do they do different things? Do you sell the older versions once you procure the new versions? Why would you need and iPad and an iPad mini? Why two laptops? Does a Wii do something different than and Xbox? I know they both plug into the TV, but I guess I assumed they had similar functions, LOL. I'm just curious. I can't imagine having all that stuff sitting around and it not being used quite a bit, way more time than I'd be comfortable having my kids sit in front of a screen.

[PeacefulChaos]

So I'm curious, for those whose kids have multiple gaming devices, how much time on average do they spend on said devices each day?

As for my kids (who have access to multiple devices even if they don't play them all), less than 2 hours per day.  Maybe a little more on weekends; maybe not.

And how much play time does each device get?

Our PS3 is used daily.  We use it for Netflix as well as games.  Netflix just as much as games, probably.  Netflix: all of us; Games: DH.

Our PS2 used to be used daily - now it's maybe every few days, on average.

The other older gaming systems are probably once a week total on average - I believe our Zelda games are on the 64, which is what gets the most play out of all our old stuff.

The DS, probably once every few days on average as well.  

The iPad is mine lol, and I use it every day.  So does DH.  It gets the most use of all of our 'stuff'. 

Oh, and I have a regular iPod, too (may as well throw that in here!) - I use it daily, usually.  Sometimes not.  But if I run, if I get in the car (without DH - he HATES my music lol), etc, I listen to the iPod.  Obviously not the same as gaming, but as it is an electronic I figured I'd include it.

Why does one need a ps3 and a ps4? Do they do different things?

lol yes.  DH wants a PS4.  New games, new graphics, different stuff.  I'm not trying to be rude - I just figured that was sort of obvious.  We won't be getting a PS4 anytime soon - I think the PS3 had been out for 1.5 years before we got one.  :D  As I'm not the gamer in the house (well, not really - though I can play a bit and there are certain games I am way better at than everyone else ;) ) I don't know all the specs and all the differences.  

Do you sell the older versions once you procure the new versions?

Nope.  We like keeping the old games.  Most things aren't backwards compatible - the PS2 was really the only thing that was - though I think there was an early version of the PS3 that was, I'm not 100% sure.  So if you want to play your old, favorite games again (that you own), you should keep the system they are played on.  

Why would you need and iPad and an iPad mini? Why two laptops? Does a Wii do something different than and Xbox?

:lol: yes.  I can't answer the first two questions - though two laptops make sense to me in a family of multiple people, we don't even have one laptop.  But as for the Wii and the Xbox - :lol: … they are two different companies, two completely different systems, different games, everything.  So yeah, way different.  For example, we have a Wii, and being made by Nintendo it has all the Nintendo flare to it - Mario games, etc.  An Xbox?  Not a chance lol.  There's no way in he** DH (or I) would purchase an item from Microsoft.  No way.  But like I said, the games are different, everything is different.  

I know they both plug into the TV, but I guess I assumed they had similar functions, LOL. I'm just curious. I can't imagine having all that stuff sitting around and it not being used quite a bit, way more time than I'd be comfortable having my kids sit in front of a screen.

As for the last comment, the biggest thing is that it's not like it didn't have its time of being used a lot at one point - at least that's the case in our house.  Sure, the Super Nintendo doesn't get played much - neither does the Sega Genesis.  But we won't get rid of them just because of that, because both of them got played a lot when DH and I were younger (respectively lol - one each from our separate households, the Sega from mine and the Super Nintendo from his).  We bought the PS2 when it first came out, with a game that I really, really, wanted to play (we had the original PS1 when we first got married, and that was the first video game other than Mario I'd ever played, and I was hooked lol), and used it for everything - watching movies (DVDs), etc, until 2.5 years ago when we got the PS3.  Now it gets used for all that and our PS2 is a backup in our room - the kids can watch a movie in there, play a game, whatev.  

That's just us.  I don't have a problem buying a system even if it isn't like they'll play it every day even now.  But we like video games.  

Everyone's different.  :)

[Catwoman]

So I'm curious, for those whose kids have multiple gaming devices, how much time on average do they spend on said devices each day? And how much play time does each device get? Why does one need a ps3 and a ps4? Do they do different things? Do you sell the older versions once you procure the new versions? Why would you need and iPad and an iPad mini? Why two laptops? Does a Wii do something different than and Xbox? I know they both plug into the TV, but I guess I assumed they had similar functions, LOL. I'm just curious. I can't imagine having all that stuff sitting around and it not being used quite a bit, way more time than I'd be comfortable having my kids sit in front of a screen.

My ds's screen time varies a lot, so I'm probably not the best person to answer your question about that. We don't set any limits on how often or how long he can play, though. He self-regulates pretty well on his own.

 

In answer to another of your questions, we don't need multiple systems or laptops or iPads (or whatever,) but we just seem to keep buying them. Some games are released for multiple gaming platforms, so as an example, you could buy the same game for XBox, Playstation, and Wii-U, but others are exclusive to a particular system, so if you don't have all of the systems, there will be some games you won't be able to play. We have all of the systems, as does ds's best friend, so it's never a problem for us.

 

The biggest drawback of having so many systems is that they do take up space. We have dealt with that problem by having different systems hooked up to different TVs in different rooms. (We have a lot of TVs in the house.) The handheld systems don't take up much room, and they can go in a drawer or a case. Fortunately, the consoles aren't hideously unattractive and they're not too large, so they aren't an eyesore or anything -- or maybe I'm just used to looking at them. ;)

 

I don't worry about how often each system is used, and I never think in terms of money being wasted if something isn't used all the time. The only system I kind of regret purchasing is the Wii-U, because it is rarely used. I'll buy my ds a few Wii-U games for Christmas, but I think he's only asking for 2 games for that platform, so I do feel like I could have spent my money better elsewhere. We used our original Wii quite a bit when we first got it, so I was hoping the wii-U would be popular, too. Oh well! I keep hoping they will release more good games for it.

 

Many people trade in or resell their old systems and games, but we tend to keep all of the systems, as well as the games that ds likes, and he usually donates the games he doesn't like.

 

Anyway, I'm rambling (as usual! :blush:) Basically, my feeling about video games is that they're fine for our family, but I understand that they aren't for everyone. I don't get judgmental about stuff like this, because I figure that everyone's family is different and whatever works for them is fine with me. I spend my money on the things I know my ds will like, just like another mom might choose to buy something entirely different for her kids. As long as the moms and the kids are happy, that's all that matters. :)

[Catwoman]

As for the last comment, the biggest thing is that it's not like it didn't have its time of being used a lot at one point - at least that's the case in our house. Sure, the Super Nintendo doesn't get played much - neither does the Sega Genesis. But we won't get rid of them just because of that, because both of them got played a lot when DH and I were younger (respectively lol - one each from our separate households, the Sega from mine and the Super Nintendo from his). We bought the PS2 when it first came out, with a game that I really, really, wanted to play (we had the original PS1 when we first got married, and that was the first video game other than Mario I'd ever played, and I was hooked lol), and used it for everything - watching movies (DVDs), etc, until 2.5 years ago when we got the PS3. Now it gets used for all that and our PS2 is a backup in our room - the kids can watch a movie in there, play a game, whatev.

That's just us. I don't have a problem buying a system even if it isn't like they'll play it every day even now. But we like video games.

Everyone's different. :)

We still have our Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, too! We also have our PS1 with the portable screen attachment, so it could be used in the car. We thought we were pretty high-tech when we got that! :rolleyes: I'd totally forgotten about it until I read your post and started remembering the systems that now live in a closet. I still think the GameCube is adorable. :001_wub: It's cool that your kids are still using the PS2. I think ours is still hooked up, but ds never uses it. I thought it had some very good games, and after the PS3 got popular, the used PS2 games got dirt cheap, so ds was able to get a lot of value when he spent his allowance! :)

 

I think it's fun to keep all of the old stuff.

[GSOchristie]

Thank you, I am totally clueless.  I never really played video games, so I have no idea.  My son sometimes asks for a certain thing, but honestly, he really doesn't have a clue, either  :lol: .  It makes more sense that these devices are shared by a whole family, I thought the child owned personally all those things, in addition to what mom and dad might have. I know our screen world will change significantly in the next few years, maybe I should start prepping now.

 

[AimeeM]

So I'm curious, for those whose kids have multiple gaming devices, how much time on average do they spend on said devices each day? And how much play time does each device get? Why does one need a ps3 and a ps4? Do they do different things? Do you sell the older versions once you procure the new versions? Why would you need and iPad and an iPad mini? Why two laptops? Does a Wii do something different than and Xbox? I know they both plug into the TV, but I guess I assumed they had similar functions, LOL. I'm just curious. I can't imagine having all that stuff sitting around and it not being used quite a bit, way more time than I'd be comfortable having my kids sit in front of a screen.

 

My daughter (12) spends a couple hours a day on her ipad, but most of that time is reading. In fact, I can't remember the last time she played a "game" on it. She also turns it on to play music while she works. She uses a laptop to research nightly - she is in a brick and mortar private school and it's rigorous; homework requiring a significant amount of research be done almost nightly.

Although we have several game systems (an xbox, a playstation, and a wii), my husband only uses the playstation out of the lot, and he (dh) plays for about an hour nightly. My 4 year old son plays the playstation for about 30 minutes? DS4 also has a tablet, but it has only been touched a couple times (not really his cuppa) - when he isn't feeling well and wants to play a game, he prefers my phone (angry birds).

We have several laptops, each used by a different family member. The old Macbook is used by DD12 and sometimes DS4; the Thinkpad by DH, the Mac Air is mine.

[AimeeM]

Thank you, I am totally clueless.  I never really played video games, so I have no idea.  My son sometimes asks for a certain thing, but honestly, he really doesn't have a clue, either  :lol: .  It makes more sense that these devices are shared by a whole family, I thought the child owned personally all those things, in addition to what mom and dad might have. I know our screen world will change significantly in the next few years, maybe I should start prepping now.

 

Nah. I think the only things personally owned by the children exclusively are the tablets (dd an ipad and ds4 a different tablet, not sure what kind), otherwise it's just shared game systems. DD12 did have a DSi, but her brother broke it. Lol.

Can I say I'm super jealous of those with a Super Nintendo? I'm so NOT a gamer, but I want one of those!

[sassenach]

My son wants 1 game that we'll get him. Other than that, I'm realizing that we live in a completely different universe than some of you.

 

I do agree w the previous poster that kids' expectations/disappointments are in large part built upon what they've been trained to expect. Ds will be delighted w his one game and won't even consider being disappointed about not getting the latest/greatest. It's just not how we live.

[Lisbeth]

I don't believe that at all. I know adults who are still disappointed that they didn't get a particular thing for Christmas when they were kids. "Reasonable request" doesn't have to factor into the equation.

 

If you really want something, you don't have to expect to get it in order to be disappointed that you didn't receive it. And let's face it, a child doesn't have the maturity of an adult, and he may be very sad and hurt that he really wanted a certain toy for Christmas and all of his friends got one and he didn't, or that all the other kids' moms took the time and made the effort to get them that special hard-to-find toy, but theirs couldn't be bothered to do it. How would that not be disappointing? :confused:

 

Personally, I think it's sad when a kid is so accustomed to knowing that he won't get what he wants that he just stops asking, and has lost hope to the point where he doesn't even feel disappointed any more. :( It's perfectly normal to feel disappointed when you really want something but can't have it, even if it's something you rationally know isn't possible for you to have. It's an emotional response, not necessarily a logical one.

I agree, and you have to be careful not to assign, squash or shame normal feelings in a child. I am NOT saying anyone here does that, I have no idea, but if the family ethos is that something like feeling disappointment ...a normal human emotion...means the child is wrong or the family lifestyle is faulty... Um, that is emotional neglect/abuse.

[Lisbeth]

I struggle wildly with this whole issue. I was the kid with really frugal parents who always chose the less is more path. I watched while other kids played in their blow-up pool. My parents would wait and wait and wait thinking whether to buy a promised thing until it was sold out. All food was mealtimes, no snacking. I was adrink at mealks, but I as an unnaturally thirsty kid and had to choke down dry food, and was ...tmi alert...always constipated. We never did trips or lessons outside of schools. My clothes were awful and sometimes hand me downs from elderly neighbors...old people clothes. I was left in extremely violent and substandard schools. Everyone had more than me, always.My mom bought me what she wanted me to have instead of what I wanted. Sooo, when you see me react to people limiting snacks, buying necessities for gifts, not putting a little effort into delighting a child a Christmas, etc, I am nit trying to be harsh/mean. I am identifying with the child. My struggle is this: is my normal meter so off that I spoil my kids? I don't know. But I try to strike a balance.

[Lisbeth]

Sorry for previous typos. My stupid phone won't let me correct them! Argh.

[TCB]

We live in a different universe here too. My dd has a nintendo ds, the 1st type made, and a kindle fire that she saved up for and bought. The only other thing they've played on is my sil's Wii on a couple of occasions. We don't have tv and so they don't see the ads for all the different latest things and so don't seem to want them. Don't know if this puts them at a disadvantage or not, but I did just read an article about some detrimental effects of too much screen time. What my kids do, for hours at a time, is read books and play with the dog. Good thing for us, because our budget is pretty limited.

[Catwoman]

Thank you, I am totally clueless. I never really played video games, so I have no idea. My son sometimes asks for a certain thing, but honestly, he really doesn't have a clue, either :lol: . It makes more sense that these devices are shared by a whole family, I thought the child owned personally all those things, in addition to what mom and dad might have. I know our screen world will change significantly in the next few years, maybe I should start prepping now.

In our case, our ds owns all of the video gaming stuff, but he's an only child. :D I do play many of the games with him, though, and we always shop for games together, read gaming magazines and reviews, and watch video game clips together, so it's definitely a family thing.

 

That said, I wouldn't necessarily rush into it while all of your kids are still little. There's plenty of time to get into video gaming when they get a bit older, unless you think they really want to get started. The one thing that I felt it was important for me to do as a parent was to learn as much as I could about the different systems and games before I bought anything at all. There's a lot of stuff out there that looks pretty innocent, but is terribly inappropriate for kids. (As an example, take a look at an XBox 360 game called "Naughty Bear." It sounds like a teddy bear being mischievous. But it's not. It's about a very, very evil teddy bear who kills innocent bystanders so there will be no witnesses. :eek: So you have to be careful, especially when your kids start playing rated T games, but there can even be inappropriate stuff in the E and E10 games, depending on your family values.)

[Χά�ων]

We live in a different universe here too. My dd has a nintendo ds, the 1st type made, and a kindle fire that she saved up for and bought. The only other thing they've played on is my sil's Wii on a couple of occasions. We don't have tv and so they don't see the ads for all the different latest things and so don't seem to want them. Don't know if this puts them at a disadvantage or not, but I did just read an article about some detrimental effects of too much screen time. What my kids do, for hours at a time, is read books and play with the dog. Good thing for us, because our budget is pretty limited.

It won't. And from experience people on this forum freak at the thought that a child is not a plugged in.

[Catwoman]

It won't. And from experience people on this forum freak at the thought that a child is not a plugged in.

It's so interesting that you say that, because my experience has often been that many people are adamantly against gaming and electronic gadgets.

 

Maybe we both just tend to notice the people who don't agree with us. :D

[marbel]

It won't. And from experience people on this forum freak at the thought that a child is not a plugged in.

 

Really?  I see the opposite here!   At least in this thread.

 

Kids who do not have the latest technology are not at a disadvantage.  My kids didn't have electronic anything when they were young.  None of the kids of my husband's coworkers did either - they were all geeks who wanted their kids to have real experiences with real toys and knew they would be fine with technology when the time was right.  It wasn't the high-tech people who told us our kids were missing out and would be disadvantaged. 

 

When my son finally had exposure to his first video game, it took less than 5 minutes to figure everything out.  The other night my daughter ran the a/v booth at an event at church after receiving minimal training, with no troubles at all.  It just isn't that hard for them.  There's not a big learning curve.  

[Χά�ων]

It's so interesting that you say that, because my experience has often been that many people are adamantly against gaming and electronic gadgets.

 

Maybe we both just tend to notice the people who don't agree with us. :D

Huh, because every thread I see (and granted, I do not see them all, I am sure) where people are seeking others who do not want to start down the road of technology overindulgence ends up with people stating how awesome technology is and defending their stance to have the latest and greatest. At one point ages ago, I posted something and received a PM screaming about how I was putting my child at a HUGE disadvantage and he would never be employable because I refuse to buy him an iPod, not an iPad, an iPod. Seriously. I think it was something I posted about seeking a non iThing, possibly a tablet for when DS was taking a bus cross country. People went batpoop crazy over the idea that I did not want an iThing because iThings will save the world or something like that.

[Catwoman]

Huh, because every thread I see (and granted, I do not see them all, I am sure) where people are seeking others who do not want to start down the road of technology overindulgence ends up with people stating how awesome technology is and defending their stance to have the latest and greatest. At one point ages ago, I posted something and received a PM screaming about how I was putting my child at a HUGE disadvantage and he would never be employable because I refuse to buy him an iPod, not an iPad, an iPod. Seriously. I think it was something I posted about seeking a non iThing, possibly a tablet for when DS was taking a bus cross country. People went batpoop crazy over the idea that I did not want an iThing because iThings will save the world or something like that.

Wow, really? :eek:

 

That was horribly rude!!!

 

What I find amazing is that anyone would even care that much. Why would they even care that another family does things differently than theirs does? :confused: It's creepy that someone would have sent you a PM like that!

[Χά�ων]

Wow, really? :eek:

 

That was horribly rude!!!

 

What I find amazing is that anyone would even care that much. Why would they even care that another family does things differently than theirs does? :confused: It's creepy that someone would have sent you a PM like that!

 

Yep. What really gets me is that people really believe this. I can assure you, and anyone else who cares, that I did not grow up with any iThing device and I can still pick one up and se it with no instructions. I also never spent hours and hours on the computer that we had in the house (from 2nd grade on) or took a typing class and can type very well using the proper method (whatever it is called) and never have to hunt and peck. I am almost 99% accurate (except for the damn % symbol which I still struggle to find) and am able to type as fast as my childhood best friend who took keyboarding every year it was offered and who now works in a law firm typing up and editing documents for a living. And by comparison, she spent hours on the computer downloading music, playing games (like Oregon Trail and later Civilization) and never managed to learn coding (the other reason I was given for my son needing all the computer stuff, how will he learn to program?)

 

It was weird.

[Catwoman]

Double post - sorry! 

[Catwoman]

Yep. What really gets me is that people really believe this. I can assure you, and anyone else who cares, that I did not grow up with any iThing device and I can still pick one up and se it with no instructions. I also never spent hours and hours on the computer that we had in the house (from 2nd grade on) or took a typing class and can type very well using the proper method (whatever it is called) and never have to hunt and peck. I am almost 99% accurate (except for the damn % symbol which I still struggle to find) and am able to type as fast as my childhood best friend who took keyboarding every year it was offered and who now works in a law firm typing up and editing documents for a living. And by comparison, she spent hours on the computer downloading music, playing games (like Oregon Trail and later Civilization) and never managed to learn coding (the other reason I was given for my son needing all the computer stuff, how will he learn to program?)

 

It was weird.

 

 

I'm on the opposite end of the argument in that ours is one of those families that always buys the "latest and greatest" and whose kid has had his own computer since he was a toddler, but even I agree that it's not necessary to have all that stuff. We like it and we use it, and I think my ds has benefitted from having had it, but I think it's ridiculous when people say that you can't learn how to use the technology if you haven't had it since you were a little kid. People do it all the time! 

 

I think it's like a lot of things that are discussed here. Most people have a "live and let live" attitude, but there are always a few extremists who think everything has to be their way or the highway, and they are the ones we tend to remember because they get so angry and adamant. 

[lovinmomma]

My son wants 1 game that we'll get him. Other than that, I'm realizing that we live in a completely different universe than some of you.

 

I do agree w the previous poster that kids' expectations/disappointments are in large part built upon what they've been trained to expect. Ds will be delighted w his one game and won't even consider being disappointed about not getting the latest/greatest. It's just not how we live.

 

Sassenach- where is your profile pic from if you don't mind saying?

 

I also live in an entirely different world. I'm ok with that. My kids are ok with that. That's doesn't mean that I think anyone else should change their life to look like mine (I don't think that you implied that- just discussing) nor I to look like theirs. Just different. :)

[Julie Smith]

It's not for christmas, but dh and I just decided to buy a laptop for the family. Youngest is turning eight next week, so he can unwrap it then.

 

He will be totally surprised. It will be a sharing family laptop.

 

Both boys will be so shocked.

 

Dh is picking out one that is a good gaming laptop!

[Jenny in Florida]

I am wondering how your ds will feel on Christmas morning when he opens packages filled with the things you wanted him to have, rather than the things he wanted.

 

 

 

 

I too wonder how he will feel not getting anything he has asked for.  So you have me questioning my decision.  I don't want to be Grinch Mom!

 

 

We always avoided this problem by not asking or encouraging our kids to make lists or "ask for" anything specific. When they were little and their friends started talking about wish lists and letters to Santa and all of that, we sat them down and explained that we believe gifts should be surprises, things that people who like and love you want to give  you because they've thought about you and taken the time to find something they hope you will like. Making a list, in my mind, betrays an assumption that you expect presents, and it also sets up what can often be unrealistic hopes.

 

We always assured our kids that we paid attention to things they were interested in and commented on, along with their likes and dislikes and current interests, all year round and would do our best to find gifts they would enjoy.

 

As a parent, I've appreciated knowing that I didn't have to stress about whether I would be able to find or afford the latest big thing each season. And our kids have grown up appreciating the surprise and delight of not knowing in advance what they might get.

 

I don't think we've ever let them down yet.

[Jenny in Florida]

I totally agree. It boils down to whether you have the money, and want to spend it.  If others perceive it as being frivolous, that's okay too.  We are generous and giving in our family, and we can be because we can afford it. 

 

 

I guess I just disagree with some of the assumptions here.

 

I don't think the only questions are (or should be) whether the kid in question wants the item and whether the parents can afford it. I think there are (or at least there are for us) larger questions about whether a particular item will contribute to my kid's long-term health and well being, whether having that item in my house will improve our family's lifestyle, etc,

 

I have nothing against frivolity. And we've certainly spent money on things for our kids and our family that others would think inappropriate. But, before we pull out the debit card, we try to really think through those other questions. There are lots of things my kids have wanted (at least for a few moments) over the years that we could have afforded to give them that we chose not to give, because the fleeting high they would have experienced in opening the item -- and the satisfaction we might have gotten from observing it -- didn't outweigh those other considerations.

 

I, too, consider myself "generous," but that doesn't always mean money and stuff in my world.

[Mommy22alyns]

Why is it completely impossible to have a dedicated discussion of Christmas gifts by the few people who do not want to give electronics?  I don't give a crap what other people give, but on 99.9% of gift idea threads, they're dominated by electronic ideas.  People who want to avoid electronics have to carefully search for ideas and it's not always easy!  It would be nice to be able to have a discussion centered on no electronics for Christmas.  It would be nice to be able to have a discussion centered on a pared down Christmas.  But it seems like it's just not possible.

[Catwoman]

Why is it completely impossible to have a dedicated discussion of Christmas gifts by the few people who do not want to give electronics?  I don't give a crap what other people give, but on 99.9% of gift idea threads, they're dominated by electronic ideas.  People who want to avoid electronics have to carefully search for ideas and it's not always easy!  It would be nice to be able to have a discussion centered on no electronics for Christmas.  It would be nice to be able to have a discussion centered on a pared down Christmas.  But it seems like it's just not possible.

 

Well, in this case, the OP wasn't asking for gift suggestions... and she also decided not to boycott the gaming stuff after all, and that she's going to buy a combination of electronic and non-electronic gifts. 

 

That said, I think it would be a great idea if there was a thread asking for non-electronic gift ideas. I think most of us would be interested in participating in a thread like that, because I don't know anyone who is exclusively giving electronic gifts, and I agree with you that it can be tough to come up with cool presents for all age groups. 

 

I know there is already at least one "frugal Christmas" thread, but I like the idea of a non-electronic gift thread that I'm going to go start one right now. I'll be sure to mention that I got the idea from you!  :)