Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did not allow them until my youngest could read long books. We picked Harry Potter as our test case. After younger kid could read Book 6, we got an iPad, followed by the Switch. Around 2nd grade.

It is a Pandora's Box. Pandora's Box is a story of the bad things about humanity, tempered by the good thing mixed in (Hope).

Don't rush it. They pick it up quickly and go very deep.

Around 2nd grade? I wouldn't let a 7 year old read Book 6 of Harry Potter.

You do you. Books are less scary than movies and TV. Fairytales have all that stuff. Most video games involve some sort of violence.

I had read the Little House on the Prairie books between 5-7. There's lots of disaster and scary stuff in those. Just not fictional monsters.

Anonymous wrote:I did not allow them until my youngest could read long books. We picked Harry Potter as our test case. After younger kid could read Book 6, we got an iPad, followed by the Switch. Around 2nd grade.

It is a Pandora's Box. Pandora's Box is a story of the bad things about humanity, tempered by the good thing mixed in (Hope).

Don't rush it. They pick it up quickly and go very deep.

Around 2nd grade? I wouldn't let a 7 year old read Book 6 of Harry Potter.

Never?
Probably better not to

I did not allow them until my youngest could read long books. We picked Harry Potter as our test case. After younger kid could read Book 6, we got an iPad, followed by the Switch. Around 2nd grade.

It is a Pandora's Box. Pandora's Box is a story of the bad things about humanity, tempered by the good thing mixed in (Hope).

Don't rush it. They pick it up quickly and go very deep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you OP? So odd. We knew our kid would likely play at someone else's house and there was nothing we could do to prevent it, but why would you promote it. You do not buy it!

Because it's fun? We play Animal Crossing and Stardew along with Mario Kart and party games

We? You are shameful

Anonymous wrote:Why would you OP? So odd. We knew our kid would likely play at someone else's house and there was nothing we could do to prevent it, but why would you promote it. You do not buy it!

Because it's fun? We play Animal Crossing and Stardew along with Mario Kart and party games

My son was 5 in 2020 so we introduced it then because COVID. We pulled out our old wii and ps3. Have not bought a new system. My sons friends think the retro games are kind of cool, although they are far less developed than todays games so they dont play as much, which is fine with me. Minecraft and FIFA are the main games.

At age 11 he can use them on weekends or if friends are over only.

I imagine at some point in high school he may want a new system and can use his own money if thats the case.

My DS couldn't handle school giving him a chromebook. He's in 7 and in 1st grade now and no way would I introduce it. He's definitely addicted to the chromebook and gets upset when we try to do things as a family or play board games. I'm sick of constantly having to police the chromebook.

So middle school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not until he asks.

This is not something to introduce.

He has asked since when he goes to friends' houses they play games. So far I have said no, but we are the only ones without a gaming system. I'm also afraid kids won't want to come to our house to play?

They won’t and your kid won’t be able to keep up with friends who own systems so they won’t think of him when there’s an afternoon they want to play.

Anonymous wrote:Why would you OP? So odd. We knew our kid would likely play at someone else's house and there was nothing we could do to prevent it, but why would you promote it. You do not buy it!

Only religious fanatics think video games are evil or bad. They are so mainstream I can’t believe how many of you are clueless.

My brother was in the nerd group. They loved their video games. They went to college, got jobs, kids and many now play with their kids. Boys that are banned from video games are missing out.

And why don’t the OPs ever write the age they are asking about?

Anonymous wrote:start with a GameBoy Color, let them use it just like we did as kids, but limit them to games without a backlight or console games on the TV

Sorry, meant to specify ages, I think first grade is old enough for some video game access

A switch is fine, but limit it to only on the television

Handheld should be limited to the gameboy, and allow an SP in fifth grade for example

I think with these limits it could be basically unlimited screen time if they follow specific parameters

start with a GameBoy Color, let them use it just like we did as kids, but limit them to games without a backlight or console games on the TV

Start early so they can keep up or dominate later on.

Just bite the bullrt and do it

Why would you OP? So odd. We knew our kid would likely play at someone else's house and there was nothing we could do to prevent it, but why would you promote it. You do not buy it!