Parents: At what age (if ever) would you put a tv/gaming console in your child's room?

[PlatinumGold]

anyone??

i recently bought my 7 yr old son a PS/2, we have an extra 29" tv that we aren't using. i was thinking of putting it in his room.

what do you guys think.

 

[Chaotic42]

High school.

At 7 your kid has no business even having a PS2, much less having one in his room. He needs to be outside.

Just my opinion.

 

[petery83]

they would definitely have to be in HS, and only if they're up to par academically

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
High school.

At 7 your kid has no business even having a PS2, much less having one in his room. He needs to be outside.

Just my opinion.

he doesn't play it more than 30 minutes per day. he has a choice, watch a tv program of his choice (30 minute variety) or play one of his PS/2 games.

 

[atom]

My brother and I had a TV in our room ever since we were like 6, but we had strict rules about usage. I think we had like an hour and a half a day to use it between us and that was it.

 

[ohtwell]

10 or 11, and only if they can show me that they are responsible enough and have good grades in school.


: ) Amanda

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
anyone??

i recently bought my 7 yr old son a PS/2, we have an extra 29" tv that we aren't using. i was thinking of putting it in his room.

what do you guys think.

would depend on the childs maturity level and how much time it would suck up. if you feel he can handle it and not neglect other duties like chores, social activities, and he is well behaved, why not.

personally, id be more worried about what he could watch on actual TV than the game console. thats what keeps me from putting a tv in my childrens (8yo girl, 6yo boy) bedrooms. too easy to watch M(slut)TV and Skinemax, which they dont need to see.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
anyone??

i recently bought my 7 yr old son a PS/2, we have an extra 29" tv that we aren't using. i was thinking of putting it in his room.

what do you guys think.

would depend on the childs maturity level and how much time it would suck up. if you feel he can handle it and not neglect other duties like chores, social activities, and he is well behaved, why not.

personally, id be more worried about what he could watch on actual TV than the game console. thats what keeps me from putting a tv in my childrens (8yo girl, 6yo boy) bedrooms. too easy to watch M(slut)TV and Skinemax, which they dont need to see.

actually, it would only be for the gaming console, i don't have a dish receiver for him.

 

[eakers]

i was 10.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
he doesn't play it more than 30 minutes per day. he has a choice, watch a tv program of his choice (30 minute variety) or play one of his PS/2 games.

That's not bad. I'd just make sure that TV/PS2 had the lowest priority and that he had to be outside during good days.

Like I said, this is all my opinion. I'm not being preachy.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
anyone??

i recently bought my 7 yr old son a PS/2, we have an extra 29" tv that we aren't using. i was thinking of putting it in his room.

what do you guys think.

would depend on the childs maturity level and how much time it would suck up. if you feel he can handle it and not neglect other duties like chores, social activities, and he is well behaved, why not.

personally, id be more worried about what he could watch on actual TV than the game console. thats what keeps me from putting a tv in my childrens (8yo girl, 6yo boy) bedrooms. too easy to watch M(slut)TV and Skinemax, which they dont need to see.

actually, it would only be for the gaming console, i don't have a dish receiver for him.

in that case, if you feel he can handle it, why not? could be a useful disciplinary tool. when i put my children on computer or xbox restriction, you would think i cut off one of their limbs.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
anyone??

i recently bought my 7 yr old son a PS/2, we have an extra 29" tv that we aren't using. i was thinking of putting it in his room.

what do you guys think.

would depend on the childs maturity level and how much time it would suck up. if you feel he can handle it and not neglect other duties like chores, social activities, and he is well behaved, why not.

personally, id be more worried about what he could watch on actual TV than the game console. thats what keeps me from putting a tv in my childrens (8yo girl, 6yo boy) bedrooms. too easy to watch M(slut)TV and Skinemax, which they dont need to see.

actually, it would only be for the gaming console, i don't have a dish receiver for him.

in that case, if you feel he can handle it, why not? could be a useful disciplinary tool. when i put my children on computer or xbox restriction, you would think i cut off one of their limbs.

i'm still considering it, my wife is opposed, not for any of the reasons stated here but just because the room is too small (it's actually not, she just has like 4 bookcases full of books in there. books are his favorite evening activity, so we aren't too concerned about his studying.

 

[amoeba]

how do you prevent the kid from accidentally turning on some pr0n ?

 

[KarenMarie]

My daughter had a gaming system in her room when she was 7yrs. old. she also has a full bookcase, stereo and color teevee. The only downside of all this was when I punished her by sending her to her room.

Some punishment, huh?

 

[jamison]

I was 4 when I started playing games regularly on the Sega Master System. I always did my homework, averaged 90-100 in every subject up in to high school, and participated in recreational sports.

Some of you are too strict in my opinion; this is clearly a judgement call based on that maturity and personality of the child in question. Gaming helps hand-eye coordination and promotes thinking, maybe not in the traditional sense, but most of the time (depending on the game) it promotes problem solving and the ability to learn patterns. For example, even an NFL game can teach the child how plays (plans) are executed, which plays work and which do not work, and eventually how to beat the computer player using a good combination of such plays.

Then again, I also watched Robocop at 4 and I like target shooting and war documentaries.

 

[Turkish]

I would say at least 11-12 years of age...

But it`s your choice...

I don`t think it will be a problem if you moderate how much he plays..

 

[RaiseUp]

My four year old brother has TV , ps, and Satellite.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
books are his favorite evening activity, so we aren't too concerned about his studying.

thats great. my children also read 5x as much as they play on the comp and xbox.

kudos to you and your wife. its nice to see parents investing in raising their children instead of appeasing them.
:beer:

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: shimsham
thats great. my children also read 5x as much as they play on the comp and xbox.

kudos to you and your wife. its nice to see parents investing in raising their children instead of appeasing them.
:beer:

Yep. It's nice to see parents encouraging their kids to read.

 

[Tetsuo]

I got my SNES at 7 or 8...and I had a 13" tv in my room

 

[Amused]

Just a thought...

I have two brothers and a sister with kids ranging in age from middle school to one neice who is college age.

One brother allows his kids to have a phone, TV and video games in their room. The other brother does not. (The sister had two daughters)

All kids started school in a very prestigous college prep private school. The kids with a phone, games and TV in their room have all been forced out because of bad grades and now attend lessor schools. The kids without are all on the honor roll.

Curiously, the brother that does not allow this stuff in their room is very wealthy. The one that did was middle class.

I say no.

 

[fredtam]

My daughter has a gamecube and tv in her room and she is 5 (or will be Feb. 2). I have sort of an odd way of looking at things like that. I started giving her Coke when she could ask for it and now its the last thing she wants. The first few days she played Crash all the time and now looks for other stuff to do instead. I kind of think the earlier you introduce something the less likely they are to become focused only on that as long as there are other options.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

wtf do you want to put a TV in your kid's room? Put them in some place out of his room so that he doesn't spend his whole day in his room without making contact with another human being. Forget about his grades, make sure he doesn't become anti-social.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
wtf do you want to put a TV in your kid's room? Put them in some place out of his room so that he doesn't spend his whole day in his room without making contact with another human being. Forget about his grades, make sure he doesn't become anti-social.

anti social is the LEAST of my worries with him. he is too social as it is, does things with other people when he should have alone time.

i'm more concerned that he will grow up with the inability to be alone, believe it or not, that can be as much of a problem as being anti social.

 

[KarenMarie]

Originally posted by: Amused
Just a thought...

I have two brothers and a sister with kids ranging in age from middle school to one neice who is college age.

One brother allows his kids to have a phone, TV and video games in their room. The other brother does not. (The sister had two daughters)

All kids started school in a very prestigous college prep private school. The kids with a phone, games and TV in their room have all been forced out because of bad grades and now attend lessor schools. The kids without are all on the honor roll.

Curiously, the brother that does not allow this stuff in their room is very wealthy. The one that did was middle class.

I say no.

Is this difference directly contributed to the 'stuff' the kids have, or could it be that along with not allowing the other kids to have too many possessions the parents are also much more strict in other areas as well?