Kids are 9 & 12. I have a sega genesis they don't know about. They don't have video games.

Two 11 year old boys here; no gaming system.

About social consequences: I was concerned about this as well, but they've had no issues. They spend enough time at friends' houses who do have wii, xbox, etc. that they're conversant in game-speak and that seems to work just fine for them.

Anonymous wrote:And how old are your kids?

We don't.

KIds are 8 and 11.

But they both have laptops and play Minecraft... and other games.

Anonymous wrote:Our gaming console and games cost less than the lego death star.

I KNOW!! That thing set me back $400, but my 8-year old has been asking for it for the past 3 years and I think (as a second grader) this may be the last year he believes in Santa. I feel more comfortable with him assembling this thing than sitting at a game console the week between Xmas and New Years.

When he got the Millenium Falcon in Kindergarten he woke up early every morning on break (dh would crack the blinds and leave a chocolate milk box out before he went to bed) and work on it all day long for a few days until he completed it. It was like a third-world child factory at our kitchen table.

Trust me--the heat will be on for the big consoles in the coming years. I know that.

DH and I don't play any computer games, wii, etc. We don't like playing video games of any sort, but I do know a lot of adults do. If we did--we might already have one.

We have a Wii and a 6 and 8 year old. If they get a new game, they will be really obsessive about playing it. I've had to threaten to throw it out and DH would be happy to let them play all day long. However, once they reach their goal or the end of the game they lose complete interest in the Wii for months.

8 yr old DD. No game console. Very few games on the iPad (Angry Birds, solitaire, some puzzles, some math games), which is password protected unless we are traveling. What free time DD has in the evenings and weekends are for reading, playing with toys or outside.

My parents do have a Wii, and DD did an Abba dance "game" quite a bit at their house when it was cold and rainy this summer. But once it warmed up, it didn't come on again.

7 year old with none. Thinking of getting something this year. He has played at other houses and really loves the dance and band ones.

12 and 14 and none here. The 14 got an I Phone this fall and the 12 yo inherited the old I touch. Between that and the computer, they have still managed to become addicts. Very concerned about the future of the human race at this point - LOL, but only a bit - honestly, 14yo gets annoyed at many friends who refuse to make eye contact when they actually manage to have a real life conversation!

Our gaming console and games cost less than the lego death star.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don't. Kids are 8, 9, and 11. The 11yo plays an online game for about 20 min in the evening. The 8yo is my budding addict and does a few activities off Blackboard--that's all for now. The 9yo, believe it or not, hates computers. It's a struggle to get this DC to even read online, which the kids will need to do for SOLs.

We really don't have time unless you count time in the car. They're all into music so are happy to listen to the radio and talk about the songs, etc.

I thought this might hurt the 11yo socially, but it hasn't so far.

OP here, thanks for this. It is one of my concerns. I'm not anti-gaming, but really want to delay it as long as possible.

Two boys, 9 and 6, and we have nothing. I occasionally let them play games on my phone or laptop, but that's it. I agree- the social component is a concern, or maybe my 9 year old is just skilled in using it as a guilt trip against me.

Two boys ages 10 and 13. We have a Wii that the boys hardly play with and itouches.

No Xbox or other gaming consoles.

Anonymous wrote:If you do a lot of things other than gaming, I'm not sure it makes much of a difference whether you have one or not. It's just another toy.

OP here. True, but a VERY expensive toy...

If you do a lot of things other than gaming, I'm not sure it makes much of a difference whether you have one or not. It's just another toy.

We do not. 6yo girl.

12 year old girl 7 year old boy. No gaming consol.