[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

This one is for all the parents who allow their kids to game, whether it be on their own console in their bedroom or a console in the sitting room. How often and how long do you let your children game ?. I have a 9 year old and a 6 year old and my 9 year old would game for hours on end if given the choice (which he isn't). Do you restrict their time spent gaming ?. Do you think some children get to game for too long, it could be children of friends or family. What are your thoughts on how long children should be allowed to game ?.

[cat666]

I'm not a parent but will answer anyway.

At the end of the day gaming gives your child something to do. As long as you make sure they are playing age specific games and not not using online chats without supervision then it is nothing to worry about. Time wise, gaming is little different from watching television. I'll bet you spend your youth glued to the screen for hours. I know I did. Gaming is better than watching TV as it allows more interaction, puzzle solving, and learning. Obviously sitting staring at a screen for prolonged periods is bad for anyone. Make sure they take breaks, just like you would with a TV.

At 9 and 6 they are too young to be outside, but I'd encourage a but of outside time when they are older, but depemdent on area I don't know if I would like them outside. Then as long as homework/chores are done, I'd not have an issue with it.

[hsellors]

I think the problem for gaming for long periods of time is the damage to their eyes and also being inactive whilat but I think it is important to embrace gaming as it improves brain development. Getting a child onto a motion dectected game is great for rainy days where going out isn't an option to get some energy out.

In regarrds to time limiting, it depends on the day? I wouldn't let gaming get in the way of homework / meal times / chores but like television if it was a quiet day and there wasn't much happening it wouldn't be so much of a problem if they spent a lot of the day playing.

My main concern would be that the content they were playing would be appropriate for their age.

[stud u like]

Gaming improves the mind and the body. Cognitive and motor skills are perhaps the most improved.

I am forty and have been playing games from the age of ten so I don't see a problem with it.

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

Thanks for the reply. My 6 year old prefers playing outside. Our area isn't too bad and as long as she stays away from the main road (main bus route) then we're quite happy to let her play out. i'm not saying that gaming is a bad thing, hell I have been doing it for well over 30 years but it seems nowadays that it's a bad thing to do and certain things get blamed on gaming. The articles ive read in the news papers or watched on tv where some ones went on a killing spree or whatever, gaming is soon mentioned but what we never hear is the good things that gaming brings, hand and eye coordination and as you say, puzzle solving and the like.

We have set as side, gaming days for our 9 year old. a few hours 3 days a week is all he gets but I know, we probably all know someone that lets their kids game for as long as they want and that's something I disagree with but each to their own I suppose.

[hsellors]

Originally Posted by XxBlaKOuTZxX

We have set as side, gaming days for our 9 year old. a few hours 3 days a week is all he gets but I know, we probably all know someone that lets their kids game for as long as they want and that's something I disagree with but each to their own I suppose.

I think the biggest risk to letting a child play for such a long time is what they're missing out on. Gaming days is a good idea : ) what does your 9 year old like to play?

I think the whole blaming shooting sprees on gaming is overplayed. It takes a very vulnerable person to play games and then turn them into a horrifc reality. I would imagine these people if they didn't play games would be influenced in another way. Films for instance.

[gavo360]

My 2 kids aren't into console gaming yet but they play on the iPad. As long as chores and home work is done then I don't mind how long they play as long as its not till past bedtime. I'm not a fan of strict time limiting how long a kid can play games for because the more you limit something the more desirable it can be and kids are smart and will find ways of doing it behind your back. I'm sure when most of us were kids our parents told us not to do something or go somewhere and we did anyway without them knowing. As long as you feel your child has a good social life and is doing fine in school then most parents are happy.

[BinaryDad]

My kids are both 2 and 4 years old, and the only time they've touched a games console was to play the Wii U on New Years Eve. But this was only in small bursts, playing Nintendo Land with the rest of us.

Normally we don't allow them to play video games, which given my profesion, seems a bit odd. But if I think about my own childhood, I didn't actually play video games until I was in my teens and even then, there quite a lot of other things I liked doin, such as learning how to MAKE video games.

We don't really allow them to watch much TV. A half hour before bed or they can watch dvd's if they're ill is all we allow.

It's true that video games can help develop hand to eye coordination as well as fine motor skills, but there are also other ways to achieve this. Arts and cratfs, kicking a ball around, playing in a sand pit, mokeying around on the climbing frame at the park etc.

The difference is, as a parent, you have to take an active part in those other activies. But that's what being a parent is about.

I won't judge anybody who allows their kids to play video games below a reasonanble age (10 years or so). But for me, I'd rather my kids learned how much fun other activities can be and wait until they can make a bit of an informed choice as to how they'll spend their free time, before letting them have regular access to a games console.

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

He likes to play all sorts of video games but of course their are a few games that we won't allow him to play.

[Nolan Deckard]

My 9 year old sister loves to play Minecraft on my 360. I think it is an excellent hobby as it lets her be creative and imaginative. Same with the UDraw tablet I bought for her to use on the console.

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

We don't allow him to game everyday. The wife and I set out rules before we even bought the consoles and games. He's allowed one new game per month or 4200ms points to buy games from XBL and his allocated gaming days are a Mon, Wed and Fri (no weekend gaming) as that's our family days when we go out and about. His sister isn't really interested in gaming, she'd rather be out with her school friends and there are times when my son will choose to go out and play rather than stay in and game. So far so good lol.

[CSI-uk]

My 2 aren't really into gaming its more their old man that hogs the consoles. They might go on Kinect if they're really bored or have some friends round. They have their own console which rarely gos on, theyre more for going out which isn't always a good thing because that in itself is a worry.

They're more active than their dad so I guess all things considered I'm quite happy with how things are.

[MartinImber]

My twins are Minecraft obsessed, one is also mad on anything Ratchet & Clank

[Alan1981]

We usually allow our son 40 minutes on a school night ( as long as he has done his reading, homework etc), and probably double that on a weekend.

Although now he has completed mario u he tends to prefer being out on his scooter when it's dry.

[Ladyxxmacbeth]

I don't limit my children at all. My son comes in from school and goes straight upstairs to his xbox where he sits there until 8. It's the winter and its cold outside. In the summer they play out...and he will get bored like he always does and goes back to lego. I can't limit my children then set bad example by being on my xbox fr hours

[Steve35]

Originally Posted by MartinImber

My twins are Minecraft obsessed, one is also mad on anything Ratchet & Clank

Brilliant games!

[hartnellchrono]

My lad has a ps2 in his room and is currently playing sonic gems and ratchet and clank he gets 40 mins in the eve.

I have 360, ps3 & Wii in the lounge, on weekends he takes over for 2-3 hours mainly playing skylanders.

We have a busy road out side are gate n the nearest park is ,30 mins away so I am happy for him to occupy himself on video games while I am busy with housework or what ever.

We play games toghter and are currently playing Mario bros Wii.

I can't moan about him playing as at the mo putting about 2hrs a night in on skyrim

[cnbcwatcher]

I started gaming when I was about 8 or 9. First game I played was Rayman Gold on PC (Windows 98) and every time I went to my friend's house I'd play it. I also remember playing on her SNES and N64. I also played on my friend's Game Boy and then I wanted one for ages. I eventually got a Game Boy Color for Christmas 1999 (I still have it and it still works ). I had great fun with it and then I got into PC gaming. I was an early adopter of the Nintendo DS as I got it the weekend it was launched I now mostly play games on my phone and iPod Touch but I play the odd casual game on my Macs. I'm contemplating selling the DS as I hardly ever use it and since getting a smartphone I use it even less.

I don't remember having any time limits imposed on me but I normally played them while travelling (the Game Boy was great for long car journeys ) or in the evenings after school. I also played for a few hours at weekends. I guess as long as I had all my homework done, made time for other things as well and didn't take the Game Boy/DS to school it was fine.

[kania]

My son plays on the ps3 too much, and it's my own fault, I hold my hands up!

He's only 5 but it's a long way to school for him, half an hour walk... he's small for his age and has little legs lol. He arrives back from school 4-4:30pm, so I allow him to go on the console whilst I'm cooking tea. After we've had tea and I've done the chores I'll join him for a game or two. Then it's his bath and bedtime. He doesn't have a console or tv in his bedroom at all.

It's winter now, and it's not appropriate for him to play outside as there's a busy road but I've just started limiting the ps3 and making sure he know it's a treat, so there's days when he won't go on it if he's not doing things when asked.

I love art, and crafts but ever since he's been young I've tried to get him involved with it, but he just doesn't like it. He's a fit, active young lad, and when he's not gaming he's practicing standing on his head, bouncing on my bed asking for a fight or putting lego in my shoes!

[scorpionatthepc]

Originally Posted by cat666

At 9 and 6 they are too young to be outside

Don't talk rubbish.

[Caltonfan]

Originally Posted by cat666

At 9 and 6 they are too young to be outside,

what a bizarre comment,

[Barry_Johnson]

how can you expect your kids to get good at computer games if you don't let them play for hours on end?

[beemoh]

Originally Posted by kania

I love art, and crafts but ever since he's been young I've tried to get him involved with it, but he just doesn't like it.

Have you tried him on LittleBigPlanet?

[tommyd1258]

I'm a trainee teacher and I've heard children aged 9 talk about playing adult games like Assassin's Creed 3 and Black Ops 2, which I find quite poor form on behalf of parents. Not just video games but films too - even a Year 3 child (age 7-8) talking about the film Ted (rated 18, lots of drugs and sex references). I know it's hard if they've got older siblings but it's not really an excuse. I've also seen children be tired in school, but not necessarily because of video games. It's incredibly frustrating as a teacher when they stay up late for whatever reason, don't eat breakfast etc.

[Ladyxxmacbeth]

There is a difference between bad parenting and allowing your children to play video games. If a child grows up in a loving family, that explains the world to them and trusts them to make good choices then you will have good children that happen to play video games. If you are from a violent drug abusing, neglectful family that let them make bad choices then you will have bad children that might never have played a video game.
They have been saying the same things for years, since the days of Victorian stories, comics, Tom and jerry, horror films etc.
Maybe video games help to remove some of those frustrations that kids have it works with me. Personally I don't see what the difference is between my 9 year old being on call f duty with his mates and playing guns and war in the park with his mates. We need to accept as a society that kids are growing up faster and its us oldies that need to adjust not them