Parents what are your thoughts . . . my 5 yr old doesn't seem . . .

[djheater]

There's actually a lot of information available, both pros and cons, for this question.

Only you know what's right for your children, if you're picking up on something, then address it. You know your child best.

Google

We, as a family, watch very little television (children's videos and DVD's for the girls once or twice a week on average I'd say). There are a couple of websites they can go to and watch videos or play games, but that's limited too.
We made the choice to greatly limit media of all kinds in our home from very early on. I think it's been a really great choice for our family. It's certainly not for everyone.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
TV is a devolution, not evolution from Legos. The thing about Legos is you have a bunch of blocks, but it is up to you to figure out what to do with them. The childs creativity along with the amount of blocks at his disposal are the only limitations. How does TV/video games enhance a kids creativity? It is entertainment, sure, but that is about the extent of it.

i don't know, SimCity could be seen as a major evolution of Legos. it has building blocks etc. the difference is it's animated and not static.

lego has a game you can download from their site that's kind of like a virtual lego deal. that seems ok, requiring imagination etc.

But you are still directed by the video game. Yes you get to design your city, but it is still an already designed task. Give your kid a bunch of lego blocks and it is up to him to decide how to use them. Build a city, build a spaceship, build ANYTHING. It forces the kid to be creative, and is fun at the same time. And the creativity that comes from it is boundless unlike from sim city, once the juices get flowing he will get more and more into it.

I love legos man, but not everyone is creative just because they have them. Surely you knew at least one kid that bought the lego sets, built the thing in the instruction book and put it up on the shelf like a model after maybe playing with it for a few days, refusing to break it to make something else. I know I knew a ton of them...and they always drove me nuts because the first thing I wanted to do was smash the set and build a robot out of it or something.

I remember I spent days creating new maps for doom though when I got sick of legos. It became my big kids sandbox.

 

[OdiN]

So...why don't you play with him?

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Maybe you should take him to a specialist. He might have a psychological problem.

This should always be your first assumption. Your second should be that you are a bad parent. Get him some medication and congratulate yourself for caring.

a bit harsh with your sarcasm there aren't you?

Sarcasm?

 

[Krazefinn]

Any video-based entertainment, whether a game , dvd, tv etc, basically shuts down the creative process. Reading at least forces you brain to create visualizations, but videos "pre-create" all that. I think you realize that using tv to much as a substitue for either parenting or peer playing will not be best option in long term.

Spend some floor time with him and try discover what sorts of things he is interested in, and then provide appropriate items along those lines..
Time and time again ithas been demonstrated that a TV in a kids bedroom, or too much watching anywhere, can have long term negative consequences.

I definitely concur with the lego-type stuff, I could play for days with them and make all kinds of things...

 

[SaturnX]

Lego is awesome, it was a great toy I spent HOURS creating things, not to mention the themes actually got me interested in different thing as I grew up, ie: the medieval times and space.

But I completely agree that TV and Video Games are defiantely a devolution from what kids used to do.

I know whenever I have kids I'll definately limit time with TV / video games in their younger years, and never use it as a substitution, which I think is the biggest issue nowadays.

All in all, Lego FTW!

--Mark

 

[captains]

Originally posted by: leftyman
give him a big cardboard box and see what happens

lol

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Maybe you should take him to a specialist. He might have a psychological problem.

This should always be your first assumption. Your second should be that you are a bad parent. Get him some medication and congratulate yourself for caring.

a bit harsh with your sarcasm there aren't you?

Sarcasm?

you are serious?

is that how you parent? you always FIRST assume that your child is crazy, then you accuse yourself of being a bad parent THEN you medicate your child and congratulate yourself?

hmmm, ok, if it works for you i guess.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Maybe you should take him to a specialist. He might have a psychological problem.

This should always be your first assumption. Your second should be that you are a bad parent. Get him some medication and congratulate yourself for caring.

a bit harsh with your sarcasm there aren't you?

Sarcasm?

you are serious?

is that how you parent? you always FIRST assume that your child is crazy, then you accuse yourself of being a bad parent THEN you medicate your child and congratulate yourself?

hmmm, ok, if it works for you i guess.

Don't feed the trolls man. Every thread about parenting gets crappers. Just how people respond. Just ignore it.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: OdiN
So...why don't you play with him?

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: OdiN
So...why don't you play with him?

i did and do. but i also happen to be working from home at the moment. i'm building 7 pc's. i have hd's being formatted at the moment, then i will be installing os's. and no, i'm not working from an image, i'm installing them off the cd.

i dont' usually do this sort of thing, i usually just have my clients buy dells but this is for my dad and i can get him better pc's if i build them.

 

[Shiizu]

In the off chance that there is a developmental problem, why don't you just ask his pediatrician? I'm sure you'll both feel better as a result.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Shiizu
In the off chance that there is a developmental problem, why don't you just ask his pediatrician? I'm sure you'll both feel better as a result.

we were just at the pediatrician 3 weeks ago, no developmental issues.

he's been doing ok, he's playing beside me now. he is drawing etc.

he just prefers being with someone.

guess he's an extrovert.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Maybe you should take him to a specialist. He might have a psychological problem.

This should always be your first assumption. Your second should be that you are a bad parent. Get him some medication and congratulate yourself for caring.

a bit harsh with your sarcasm there aren't you?

Sarcasm?

you are serious?

is that how you parent? you always FIRST assume that your child is crazy, then you accuse yourself of being a bad parent THEN you medicate your child and congratulate yourself?

hmmm, ok, if it works for you i guess.

*sigh*

 

[BriGy86]

Legos are an awsome toy

 

[Boxxcar]

Buy him a universal gym. Create a work out schedule for him three times a week with say, 15-20 reps each for bench press, curls, butterflys, whatever works for you. Also make him do about 50 pushups and chinups after he finishes his mile and a half. He'll no longer be sitting around doing nothing - he'll be sleeping!
If he still refuses to do any of the exercises you've developed, he's obviously a reject and you must put him up for auction on ebay without delay!

 

[kwo]

:thumbsup:

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
TV is a devolution, not evolution from Legos. The thing about Legos is you have a bunch of blocks, but it is up to you to figure out what to do with them. The childs creativity along with the amount of blocks at his disposal are the only limitations. How does TV/video games enhance a kids creativity? It is entertainment, sure, but that is about the extent of it.

yep.

 

[kwo]

Originally posted by: kranky

Originally posted by: leftyman
give him a big cardboard box and see what happens

Transmogrifier!

:laugh::thumbsup:

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
he can't seem to just play when he's alone.

my oldest (probably because he didnt' have siblings till he was 3) had no problems playing with his toys by himself at this age.

my youngest tho, always has to be entertained, i think the problem is partly because he has 2 older siblings so when they are around one of them will always make time to play with him.

but he's home from pre school right now, his siblings are still in school, so he just sits alone and lonely. he doesn't ever play with his toys unless his older brother is there with him playing with them also.

hmmm, not sure what we can do about it.

he's fine if we turn on the TV or let him play video games, but he doesn't seem good at playing with inanimate toys.

play with your kid! geez! my two are the same way tho, the youngest doesn't like to play alone at all. her big sister will sit and entertain herself for hours.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
he can't seem to just play when he's alone.

my oldest (probably because he didnt' have siblings till he was 3) had no problems playing with his toys by himself at this age.

my youngest tho, always has to be entertained, i think the problem is partly because he has 2 older siblings so when they are around one of them will always make time to play with him.

but he's home from pre school right now, his siblings are still in school, so he just sits alone and lonely. he doesn't ever play with his toys unless his older brother is there with him playing with them also.

hmmm, not sure what we can do about it.

he's fine if we turn on the TV or let him play video games, but he doesn't seem good at playing with inanimate toys.

play with your kid! geez! my two are the same way tho, the youngest doesn't like to play alone at all. her big sister will sit and entertain herself for hours.

You can't discount individual character though. My 4.5 year old is plays alone a lot. She takes dolls and little wooden people and tells stories with them for hours, she'll also sit and look through books for a long time too.

 

[TBone48]

My two daughters are complete opposites in this respect. The older hates to be alone, from the time she was crawling she craved constant attention. The younger, on the other hand, will gladly spend hours playing with dolls, coloring, pretending to write a book, whatever. She loves being by herself and making things up. I wouldn't worry about your child, if he's healthy and happy. Every kid is different.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Shiizu
In the off chance that there is a developmental problem, why don't you just ask his pediatrician? I'm sure you'll both feel better as a result.

we were just at the pediatrician 3 weeks ago, no developmental issues.

he's been doing ok, he's playing beside me now. he is drawing etc.

he just prefers being with someone.

guess he's an extrovert.

Drawing/writing/playing music (whatever they want to play, don't sign em up for piano lessons and make them go to recitals etc) is the #1 thing I could ever recommend for a child to pick up along with sports. :thumbsup:


Just don't let him become a couch potato.

 

[Homerboy]

We have a similar situation at my house with our 4.5yr old (has younger sister 2.5)

While he will play by himself he won't be in a room by himself while he plays. If he wants to play upstairs in his room with something then he "demands" that we go up there to, at the very least into our bedroom or something. Or vice-versa for downstairs. He loves to play with us plain and simple.

It just seems to be his personality. He wants us to be involved in everything he does. He wants to talk and talk and talk about what hes doing and ask a brazillion questions about it. I find it endearing on 1 level as I know in about 10 yrs he won't want to be in the same state as we are, let alone the same house or room. So when I can I will play with him or go upstiars and go on and on about the ins and outs of his GeoTrax. When I can't (or simply don't want to) I wont and if he begs cries and screams so be it. Lesson learned for him. But I EXPLAIN to him why I can't or don't want to... I don't just say "no". Kids don't get "no" they need a reason or an explaination to help clarify the situation.

If your busy with work explain to you kid that "Dad can't now, I'm working but I promise later we can do XYZ" Patience is a virtue... and a MUST for kids.

EDIT: I forgot to touch on the TV/video games vs inanimate toys topic. Even with the TV on or playing a video game he loves to just go on and on about what he's seeing or doing. I seems to me that he just wants to share everything he experiences with us.. which I guess I can't compain about

 

[Fritzo]

legos are the sh!t. Back in the day I made fvcking guns with legos. Oh man.

Gotta ask...what was the point of making guns that are having sex?