What about a cheap Chrome book to play it on?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently the next to last parent to allow it and trying to figure it out now.

Why is it so effing complicated?

You shouldn't be figuring it out. If your children are interested, they can and should figure it out themselves. As tweens, this is well within their capacity. It does mean you will need to allow them internet access. But everything they need is online.

We have a rule in my household that I don't do tech support for my kids with games. I do it for school and required things, but games are something they have to figure out themselves. As a result, they are technically very adept. I'm not rigid about it -- they can ask my opinion of course -- but they have to drive it, not me.

OP here,

I need to figure out what to buy, if I'm giving my kid Minecraft as a gift (e.g. I had assumed they could play on the iPad but apparently I need to figure out whether I make a PC available to them). And I need to figure out what kind of limits I place, etc . . . .

Honestly, I think you should say "kids, I think it might be fun for you to play Minecraft with your cousins. It's my gift to you. Let me know if you need me to sign up for anything or to buy anything for you to set it up.".

Right, but then my kid will say "I need a PC" and I need to know if that's true (in which case I need this to be the "big birthday present"), or I can say "Nope, you can play on the Switch you already have". Just as an example.

So set a budget and say "sorry, thats too expensive. Surely there is another way." And they'll come up with a work around until they can explain to you why playing on the PC is so much better. And then you are pleased with their effort, and say "OK, you've convinced me." At least, that's the way it works in my house. They are in charge of their stuff, and put in the time/research. They learn to negotiate with you. You learn to trust them. All important things to figure out as they move into the teen years.

OK, in my house sometimes we just give kids a present.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently the next to last parent to allow it and trying to figure it out now.

Why is it so effing complicated?

You shouldn't be figuring it out. If your children are interested, they can and should figure it out themselves. As tweens, this is well within their capacity. It does mean you will need to allow them internet access. But everything they need is online.

We have a rule in my household that I don't do tech support for my kids with games. I do it for school and required things, but games are something they have to figure out themselves. As a result, they are technically very adept. I'm not rigid about it -- they can ask my opinion of course -- but they have to drive it, not me.

OP here,

I need to figure out what to buy, if I'm giving my kid Minecraft as a gift (e.g. I had assumed they could play on the iPad but apparently I need to figure out whether I make a PC available to them). And I need to figure out what kind of limits I place, etc . . . .

Honestly, I think you should say "kids, I think it might be fun for you to play Minecraft with your cousins. It's my gift to you. Let me know if you need me to sign up for anything or to buy anything for you to set it up.".

Right, but then my kid will say "I need a PC" and I need to know if that's true (in which case I need this to be the "big birthday present"), or I can say "Nope, you can play on the Switch you already have". Just as an example.

So set a budget and say "sorry, thats too expensive. Surely there is another way." And they'll come up with a work around until they can explain to you why playing on the PC is so much better. And then you are pleased with their effort, and say "OK, you've convinced me." At least, that's the way it works in my house. They are in charge of their stuff, and put in the time/research. They learn to negotiate with you. You learn to trust them. All important things to figure out as they move into the teen years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently the next to last parent to allow it and trying to figure it out now.

Why is it so effing complicated?

You shouldn't be figuring it out. If your children are interested, they can and should figure it out themselves. As tweens, this is well within their capacity. It does mean you will need to allow them internet access. But everything they need is online.

We have a rule in my household that I don't do tech support for my kids with games. I do it for school and required things, but games are something they have to figure out themselves. As a result, they are technically very adept. I'm not rigid about it -- they can ask my opinion of course -- but they have to drive it, not me.

OP here,

I need to figure out what to buy, if I'm giving my kid Minecraft as a gift (e.g. I had assumed they could play on the iPad but apparently I need to figure out whether I make a PC available to them). And I need to figure out what kind of limits I place, etc . . . .

Honestly, I think you should say "kids, I think it might be fun for you to play Minecraft with your cousins. It's my gift to you. Let me know if you need me to sign up for anything or to buy anything for you to set it up.".

Right, but then my kid will say "I need a PC" and I need to know if that's true (in which case I need this to be the "big birthday present"), or I can say "Nope, you can play on the Switch you already have". Just as an example.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently the next to last parent to allow it and trying to figure it out now.

Why is it so effing complicated?

You shouldn't be figuring it out. If your children are interested, they can and should figure it out themselves. As tweens, this is well within their capacity. It does mean you will need to allow them internet access. But everything they need is online.

We have a rule in my household that I don't do tech support for my kids with games. I do it for school and required things, but games are something they have to figure out themselves. As a result, they are technically very adept. I'm not rigid about it -- they can ask my opinion of course -- but they have to drive it, not me.

OP here,

I need to figure out what to buy, if I'm giving my kid Minecraft as a gift (e.g. I had assumed they could play on the iPad but apparently I need to figure out whether I make a PC available to them). And I need to figure out what kind of limits I place, etc . . . .

Honestly, I think you should say "kids, I think it might be fun for you to play Minecraft with your cousins. It's my gift to you. Let me know if you need me to sign up for anything or to buy anything for you to set it up.".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently the next to last parent to allow it and trying to figure it out now.

Why is it so effing complicated?

Honestly, they should be figuring this out themselves. It is a great motivator.

You don't figure out what to get your kid for birthday gifts?

No surprises ever?

I am not asking for "how to play", I'm asking for "what to buy".

-- OP

Anonymous wrote:I am apparently the next to last parent to allow it and trying to figure it out now.

Why is it so effing complicated?

Honestly, they should be figuring this out themselves. It is a great motivator.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We bought my daughter a mac for xmas then discovered she can't use it to play minecraft with her friends. Instead she needs to use her ipad to connect with pals using/hosting on android/PCs. Java Bedrock vs. other one (I forget).

OP here,

You can't play on a mac at all?

You definitely can because DS plays on our MacBook with friends all of the time. He has it on the macbook, the PC and the Xbox. I don’t know much about it but what I know for sure is there are different versions and they are not compatible. He never uses the Xbox because it had the version where he can’t okay with friends. Or that his friends don’t play on so that’s why they can’t play together.

Be careful and watch your kid. It’s great for cousins to play together and ours do too. There are open Minecraft servers with older kids and it’s not the innocent harmless games. My older kid sometimes goes on those and I’ve seen and heard stuff not appropriate for the younger crowd.

OP here,

OK, I think I have a better sense of what I want to know.

I have 2 kids. Ideally, they'd both be able to play at the same time. We have a Nintendo Switch, several ipads, and a Mac. It sounds like the Switch is the best bet, and then maybe getting a second device? What's a cheap second device that would work well?

Can kids switch back and forth between device types? Like if my kids decide that the PC is better can they take turns on the PC, or will one account be living on the Switch and one on PC?

The "server" thing sounds good, because then they can be with each other, which is the point. Can I do that on the Switch? If their cousin is on an Xbox, does that work?

Also, my guess is that one kid will play a lot, and one kid will play a little. For my kid who plays a little, would an iPad work? I didn't go into this imagining that I would be buying a whole new computer.

Anonymous wrote:We bought my daughter a mac for xmas then discovered she can't use it to play minecraft with her friends. Instead she needs to use her ipad to connect with pals using/hosting on android/PCs. Java Bedrock vs. other one (I forget).

OP here,

You can't play on a mac at all?

We bought my daughter a mac for xmas then discovered she can't use it to play minecraft with her friends. Instead she needs to use her ipad to connect with pals using/hosting on android/PCs. Java Bedrock vs. other one (I forget).

Anonymous wrote:The best device to play on is a PC, second best are the gaming consoles, and finally is the iPad. It's too bad, because most families have come to terms with allowing iPad time but a PC feels uncomfortable. Still, its the best way to play the game and you need one to set up the server.

If you don't want to set up your own server there are heavily moderated servers that cater to children and toss kids out for language, ruining other people's builds, etc. but they are not JUST your little pod - there are other kids. You can look for reviews of those servers online, and then you ask to join them and they approve your username. My kid did that with friends for years.

Do they have to be on the same device? Like if I have one kid on a PC and one on a Switch?

The best device to play on is a PC, second best are the gaming consoles, and finally is the iPad. It's too bad, because most families have come to terms with allowing iPad time but a PC feels uncomfortable. Still, its the best way to play the game and you need one to set up the server.

If you don't want to set up your own server there are heavily moderated servers that cater to children and toss kids out for language, ruining other people's builds, etc. but they are not JUST your little pod - there are other kids. You can look for reviews of those servers online, and then you ask to join them and they approve your username. My kid did that with friends for years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ladies! Minecraft is like a social LEGOs group for your kids. Really fun and creative. And can be collaborative.

Wow, sexist much?

I think everyone knows that.

DP, and apparently not, since OP has forbidden it. We don't let our kids play games online, but Minecraft isn't online in the way Roblox is.

That was me, OP. I didn’t “forbid” it, I just didn’t buy it. Now. I want to buy it but I need to know what device to buy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ladies! Minecraft is like a social LEGOs group for your kids. Really fun and creative. And can be collaborative.

Wow, sexist much?

I think everyone knows that.

DP, and apparently not, since OP has forbidden it. We don't let our kids play games online, but Minecraft isn't online in the way Roblox is.