mittmaman Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 We are a quite "basic" family, as far as entertainment is concerned: some DVDs (all carefully selected), very few educational games (starfall, etc.), no TV, no Playstation, no Wii... you get the picture... I am starting to wonder, though, whether buying a Nintendo might be of interest for our family. From what I see, there are more and more educational games (and the like) around, and some really look good... I would certainly not buy any "normal games", nor "feeding-your -dog"-kind of applications (we have a real one...;)). Also, if I did it, I would declare this to MY Nintendo, with sporadic episodes of lending it to a child...:lol: I am looking forward to your replies and hearing about your experiences...! As much as I am afraid to let "the monster" over my doorstep, I am more and more intrigued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 A Nintendo or any gaming system only has the power you choose to give it. That said, we've found a LOT of good in our game systems. -They're social. You can sit down as a family and play and laugh and have fun whether you;re all playing a game or whether you're just watching someone else. -They build skills. Kids often need persistence and crtical thinking skills to work through games, especially roe playing and adventure games like the Harry Potter titles or Lego Star Wars. Mine have learnedhow to portion out their time playing, how to settle disputes while playing and how to deal with turns. Star Wars Clone Wars, a racing/battle game has done a lot for my son's patience and ability to lose with grace. -They're educational. And it's often not the educational titles that are the most educational. Ultimate Spiderman has inspired a lot of talk about physics and New Yorks in my house. Video games don't have any special power that other mediums don't and issues surrounding them can be dealt with in the same way they can if yu're dealing with books or board games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I would agree that sticking to educational games can be accomplished without a video game system. We definitely enjoy the educational aspects of our video games, but they're primarily used for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Two thoughts: Yes, there are good things. We have a wii and my kids mostly play Outdoor Adventure (got it in Dec). My son has lost 10 pounds with the help of that thing. We also got a wii fit and wii sports, both very active games. We enjoyed Brain Age when we had a DS (they have similar games for the wii). Things I noticed before. Some games help with reading when you play adventure games. Like you said, there are educational games (we never did that). It is very social. My daughter found timing with Guitar Hero (the only purchase that we spent a long time deciding on because we're generally very conservative). Are you and hubby on the same page when it comes to what the limitations will be? That was probably my biggest issue. Well, and my kid has an addictive personality <sigh> Anyway, I think *I* would hold off if I were you just because your kids are SO young. But lots of people with kids your kids' ages have systems. And as long as it doesn't become the focal point of the house.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 There are some good things to the Wii. I dont think there are very many educational games, but I think it does provide the following..... - family time, you can have a lot of fun with everyone gathered around the Wii spending time together - exercise....things like Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Dance Dance Revolution, and Outdoor Adventure can provide exercise - I like the "different" games on the Wii. I love Trivia games and Wii has several of those....I'm not a fan of regular video games where you sit down and proceed through a world. But I like certain Wii games where you play games, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in Austin Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Depending on which games you get, a Wii can provide the kind of family entertainment that you'd usually associate more with a board game or a physical game at the park than with a video game. Perhaps you could borrow or rent one or play one at someone's home for awhile to get a feel for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have a lot of fun playing "Burnout Revenge" on the XBox with my sons. We high five, cheer each other on, and hoot & holler. Is it educational? Well, I wouldn't go that far. But they have learned to take turns and they even include their little sister in some games, which doesn't happen very often in real life, so to speak. We haven't gotten them individual gaming systems (like Nintendo DS) yet because I see that as antisocial. Maybe it would be good for a very long car trip. Since we've gotten the gaming systems I don't hear "There's nothing to do." And it hasn't cut down on our family boardgame time, because the kids will pick playing Sorry or Backgammon with Mom over a videogame every time. Other families may be different. My kids tend to self-regulate and I never have a hard time getting them to go outside. I hesitate to add this, but the one big benefit in our house is sometimes I get an hour to complete a paper or finish reading for my schooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mittmaman Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Your answers were very helpful to me! ...I think I'll hold off some more on getting a Nintendo (or Wii, etc...);) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Yes, there is some good, and ironically it's only very *occasionally* found in the so-called "educational games". But from what you post, I think you'd be happier skipping it. Also, I'm not sure what game system you're suggesting. Nintendo currently has the Wii as its game console and the DS as its handheld system. My husband's work requires that we have most current systems (and a number of older ones). My kids play occasionally on a variety of systems. Not all the time, and just owning the system does not in any way mean it needs to take over anyone's life. There are fun games that allow the family to interact together, encourage movement and silliness, indirectly reinforce reading or logical reasoning or spatial relations skills, etc. As a small part of a well-rounded life, they can be positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 We haven't gotten them individual gaming systems (like Nintendo DS) yet because I see that as antisocial. Maybe it would be good for a very long car trip. I just had to smile. Read that again but substitute "books" for "individual gaming systems" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PariSarah Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 house, they're fun, and they're fun. Just plain fun is a good enough reason for almost anything, as long as it's compatible with your other goals. Now, I've decided against it for our family, and I have nothing but contempt for people who say that you HAVE to have one to make your kids "normal." But I think "just because we'd have fun with it" is a good enough reason to get one, if the negatives that come along with it (reduced time outdoors or reading, fights over who gets to use it and for how long, attitude problems, whatever it is that you might object to) don't seem serious to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I'm sure some people enjoy them, and for good reason. Your children are young still. You introduce it now and sure, it feels like it's "yours" and you get to call all the shots and exercise all the control. But my guess is that you are going to feel sort of silly telling a 17 year old that he can't buy a fun game because it's not educational. There are a lot of G rated time wasters that are fun but not educational. At the very least, you will probably end up with those. More likely there will be a slow drift into the PG and PG 13 stuff over the years, or at least there will be a fair amount of pressure to do so. I found it must easier with a teenage son that we just didn't own that kind of stuff. We didn't, we never did, we had no arguments about when he could play and what he could play and how long he could play because we never let the thing into the house. NO regrets. It was just so much easier. And we set no restrictions on him playing at other people's houses, so he did get some exposure and hang out with friends some playing. We knew his friends and were comfortable with that. But I'll tell you one thing that would have been good. He's in college now and he owns every gaming sytem on the market. I think all his disposable income goes to video games. I wouldn't say he's addicted. He's talked about kids he knows who truly spend hours a day playing video games in college. My son has a part time job and a lot of friends, and that plus classes keeps him too busy for an addictive style. But I do suspect that he spends a lot of time on them, and sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to let him get experience moderating himself when he was still in high school. Also, if I hadn't liked or known his friends, I can see that it might be better to have all the kids playing at my house so I can be the adult moderating. Still, on the whole, I am glad we handled it how we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 A Nintendo or any gaming system only has the power you choose to give it. That said, we've found a LOT of good in our game systems. -They're social. You can sit down as a family and play and laugh and have fun whether you;re all playing a game or whether you're just watching someone else. -They build skills. Kids often need persistence and crtical thinking skills to work through games, especially roe playing and adventure games like the Harry Potter titles or Lego Star Wars. Mine have learnedhow to portion out their time playing, how to settle disputes while playing and how to deal with turns. Star Wars Clone Wars, a racing/battle game has done a lot for my son's patience and ability to lose with grace. -They're educational. And it's often not the educational titles that are the most educational. Ultimate Spiderman has inspired a lot of talk about physics and New Yorks in my house. Video games don't have any special power that other mediums don't and issues surrounding them can be dealt with in the same way they can if yu're dealing with books or board games. :iagree: We were able a Wii system for free so we took advantage of that opportunity and gave it to the family for Christmas. We all enjoy it for many reasons. One of the biggest benefits for us has been physical activity. We're not the type to go outside in weather that is cold, gray, and rainy to get some PE in. That means for 8-9 months of the year, we get no physical activity. Now that the Wii has entered our house, we are dancing for PE using Dance Dance Revolution. We also get physical activity and family togetherness by playing baseball, tennis, and bowling together in our living room. I've even found the regular games to have benefit. Right now, my kids are sitting on the couch together playing Lego Star Wars. They are interacting, laughing, talking, working together, discussing strategy, and having fun together. They recently completed a level that they were having trouble with and were excited about their accomplishment. I saw them learning the value in trying again. My husband and son bond over playing football on the Wii. It's their special time as the rest of us don't play that game. The Wii has its place but hasn't taken over because we have rules about its use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 We haven't gotten them individual gaming systems (like Nintendo DS) yet because I see that as antisocial. Maybe it would be good for a very long car trip. I will respectfully offer the other side here. Both my kids have the Nintendo DS. Both my kids do not enjoy playing alone with it, once they got used to playing with others. The Nintendo DS comes with a wireless feature that enables quite a few games (but not all) to be played with others. My son has made quite a few friends that way last summer at the pool. The 'individual' game system isn't that individual anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I will respectfully offer the other side here. Both my kids have the Nintendo DS. Both my kids do not enjoy playing alone with it, once they got used to playing with others. The Nintendo DS comes with a wireless feature that enables quite a few games (but not all) to be played with others. My son has made quite a few friends that way last summer at the pool. The 'individual' game system isn't that individual anymore... :iagree: We've had friends over to play. We all take turns playing against each other in the sports games. We only have one dance mat for DDR but it was quite fun and cute seeing four girls all line dancing together. One was on the mat and the other three were dancing long wherever there was room on the floor. We also have a date in the works with another family to bring over their controllers and favorite games so that we can play together, four people at a time instead of just two. Of course, that will require us rearranging all of our furniture to make room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I will respectfully offer the other side here. Both my kids have the Nintendo DS. Both my kids do not enjoy playing alone with it, once they got used to playing with others. The Nintendo DS comes with a wireless feature that enables quite a few games (but not all) to be played with others. My son has made quite a few friends that way last summer at the pool. The 'individual' game system isn't that individual anymore... My daughter has one but my son doesn't. Still, he loves it when she goes into her room and plays because he'll follow her in, turn off the lights do the screen is bright and snuggle in beside her to cheer her on. I love peeking in on them when she's playing.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 We love our Wii, but then I grew up with video games from Atari to Nintendo and on to Wii. Our kids play some 'educational' games, but even games like Lego Indiana Jones has helped our son with hand eye coordination. We have also taught our kids how to discern which games are ok to play and which are not. Now I don't worry about them playing off limits games at the homes of other people. Hopefully this will continue through college, but if not at least we tried. DD8 loves her Nintendo DS, and those fun little taking care of pets games give her something to do while we wait for her brothers to get done with activities when it is too noisy to read a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) I just had to smile. Read that again but substitute "books" for "individual gaming systems" True that. I was very antisocial as a child, with my nose in a book, ignoring everything around me....well, come to think of it, I still am. My dh says books are like drugs to me. But I will counter with the fact that at least I have a head full of useless knowledge because of my avid reading. The door is still open for NintendoDS at our house...my oldest is only almost 9. I'll never say "never" :) Edited January 22, 2009 by MeanestMomInMidwest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I will respectfully offer the other side here. Both my kids have the Nintendo DS. Both my kids do not enjoy playing alone with it, once they got used to playing with others. The Nintendo DS comes with a wireless feature that enables quite a few games (but not all) to be played with others. My son has made quite a few friends that way last summer at the pool. The 'individual' game system isn't that individual anymore... Good to know. I did not know that DS had that capability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3babiesmommy Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 2 good things to report from this house about the wii: 1. Like many others said, the physical activity portion. There is nothing but wonderful to be sad for seeing my girls jumping up and down playing Dance Dance Revolution (especially when it is 26 or 106 degrees outside!) 2. It is an excellent fit for our Accountable Kids chore program. They earn tickets for completing their chores without being asked, and one of the things in the house with ticket-only access is the wii. 1 ticket = 1/2 hour or play.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 True that. I was very antisocial as a child, with my nose in a book, ignoring everything around me....well, come to think of it, I still am. My dh says books are like drugs to me. But I will counter with the fact that at least I have a head full of useless knowledge because of my avid reading. I remember carrying a book with me everywhere precisely because of the anti-social aspect. If was hiding behind a novel, people wouldn't engage me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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