Are you going to limit how long your kids play games?

Personally, I didn't own any real gaming system until I was in about 10 or 11, which is alright I suppose, but by that time I was more inclined towards reading anyway. We also only had one TV in the house until I was about 15 at which point I got one for my room. I didn't use it a lot, but I'm not entirely sure that was a good idea anyway.

As a result, our family isn't very TVcentric. We don't really voice it but from the amount we watch TV it's obvious that we think it's largely a waste of time.

I reckon kids are essentially little idiots, if you let them be, and if you let them play as many games as they want, they'll happily turn their minds to mush. Hell, I even neglect reading now for games. I can't even remember the last time I read something that wasn't a big fat textbook. It was probably in the summer.

But I remember growing up around people who had nintedos and segas even when we were in Year 1 and 2. These people were largely idiots at the time and I remember thinking (arrogantly, perhaps) that they were quite stupid.

I'm definitely going to limit how long my kids play games/watch TV, I'm just not sure how much exactly. 1 hour a day seems a little strict, perhaps 2 will do the trick. Such limits will probably ease up once they're in secondary school, but obviously if they mooch around all day playing games I shan't be happy.

So how about you?

My son (three-and-a-half) plays games already, but gets bored of them after a while. He'd rather kick a football around, or play with his toys, or read a book, or make a slideshow on the computer. I think as long as you pay attention to your kids and give them plenty to do, and don't just leave them on their own for hours upon hours, then it doesn't matter too much. As long as they're not playing for hours upon hours at a time without any breaks.

My son and daughter play games a fair bit. But they would much rather be outside playing football or just running around. I try and have as much one to one time with them as possible and make gaming a treat.

If I had kids I would certainly make sure they go outside for exercise as often as possible. Most of my childhood was spent at the swimming pool or down the park playing football and as we still have some nice parks where I live I would hope that's still possible. I'm not the type of person to think my child will get kidnapped and murdered as soon as they leave the house and exercise is vital for kids. I would not stop them from playing games however as I'd finally have someone I could maybe beat from time to time (does shouting "In your face, LOOSER" at a 6 year old count as child abuse?) :lol:

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suzzopher wrote:My son and daughter play games a fair bit. But they would much rather be outside playing football or just running around. I try and have as much one to one time with them as possible and make gaming a treat.

This is the right answer

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Harry Bizzle wrote:...if you let them play as many games as they want, they'll happily turn their minds to mush.

Playing games does not turn your mind to 'mush'.

Fitness is a problem if you just sit playing games all the time, I'll admit, thats the reason to limit any time spent playing games, not a lack of mental development.

HSH28 wrote:Playing games does not turn your mind to 'mush'.

Fitness is a problem if you just sit playing games all the time, I'll admit, thats the reason to limit any time spent playing games, not a lack of mental development.

Last edited by Harry Bizzle on Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

HSH28 wrote:
Harry Bizzle wrote:...if you let them play as many games as they want, they'll happily turn their minds to mush.

Playing games does not turn your mind to 'mush'.

Fitness is a problem if you just sit playing games all the time, I'll admit, thats the reason to limit any time spent playing games, not a lack of mental development.

I would say books are infinitely, infinitely more valuable to mental development.

I don't think games are particularly useful (if at all) in that respect. And I don't think gaming in particular would mushify their brains, rather if it replaced the time they spent reading and what not.

I remember as a kid I had a few Kingfisher's Children's encyclopedias. I loved them - practically read the things cover to cover. The science one was amazing. I read certain entries over and over. Good times.

Harry Bizzle wrote:
HSH28 wrote:
Harry Bizzle wrote:...if you let them play as many games as they want, they'll happily turn their minds to mush.

Playing games does not turn your mind to 'mush'.

Fitness is a problem if you just sit playing games all the time, I'll admit, thats the reason to limit any time spent playing games, not a lack of mental development.

I would say books are infinitely, infinitely more valuable to mental development.

I don't think games are particularly useful (if at all) in that respect.

That depends on the game surely? My son has started to get into JRPGs(he is 7) and is really enjoying the reading part of the game. The reading mixed with the interaction of the game world can't do any harm to a child's development?

Yeah, you're probably right, but I think there's more truth to the side that video gaming is not particularly valuable to mental development than the "oh, look at this research saying we're learning valuable* skills!"

*Some shoddy hand eye coordination that has very little application outside of shooting baddies.

Harry Bizzle wrote:I would say books are infinitely, infinitely more valuable to mental development.

I don't think games are particularly useful (if at all) in that respect.

Well, Animal Crossing has got James into reading more than any book. He's gone from asking what everyone's saying to memorising what some of the characters say or the objects are called, to being able to take some of those words out of the game context and read them when written down elsewhere.

He's played some educational/kids' games on the PC too, which has developed his hand-eye co-ordination and also helped his mental development.

Needless to say, I'd completely disagree with you.

I've always been a reader, and I've put that down to formative years of playing text adventures on my ZX Spectrum.

My nephew has a similar relationship with Animal Crossing, HoC.

I'd agree that they can be quite useful in younger kids, such as your son, but what I'm more interested in is once your kids are past the stage of learning to read and interact with their environment - things which can be learnt from practically anything they're interested in (provided it's got some text for the former).

When your child is about 12 for example. What is he going to gain intellectually from gaming? Becoming 'game literate' as it were is useful in the context of our hobby, but not really anything else that I'm aware of.+

edit: and with that, I've hit 1000 posts - a landmark in my own time wastage. I should be studying physiology. :fp:

I let my kids play games a couple of hours per day during their holidays, maybe 1 or 2 hours at weekends and never during school days.

No way I'm going to let them play more than me. 8-)

Harry Bizzle wrote:I'd agree that they can be quite useful in younger kids, such as your son, but what I'm more interested in is once your kids are past the stage of learning to read and interact with their environment - things which can be learnt from practically anything they're interested in (provided it's got some text for the former).

When your child is about 12 for example. What is he going to gain intellectually from gaming? Becoming 'game literate' as it were is useful in the context of our hobby, but not really anything else that I'm aware of.+

Yeah, if you up the age to around 12, then you've got a point. There are arguably only a handful of games which will encourage further learning from that age. The vast, vast majority of 'edutainment' titles are targeted at kids.

HSH28 wrote:Playing games does not turn your mind to 'mush'.

Even Ronnie Rosenthal couldn't miss from here! :lol:

I may put a minimum limit on how much games they play, heaven forbid they turn into... casual gamers! *Shudders*

Shadow wrote:I may put a minimum limit on how much games they play, heaven forbid they turn into... casual gamers! *Shudders*

I bet you couldn't live with yourself if they did. The shame would be too great to bear. In fact, castrate yourself now, so you don't run the risk.

Yes, if I ever get to see them again.

MCN wrote:
Shadow wrote:I may put a minimum limit on how much games they play, heaven forbid they turn into... casual gamers! *Shudders*

I bet you couldn't live with yourself if they did. The shame would be too great to bear. In fact, castrate yourself now, so you don't run the risk.

I already have one! I've been trying to school him properly, we started with Super Mario Bros and my intention was to work up from there through all the key points in gaming history, but all he wants to do is ride his strawberry floating bike and play football!!

Are you going to limit how long your kids play games?

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