Video Games versus Toys (method, cartoons, wife, play)

[Aggiebuttercup]

My H is a gamer. I am to a much lesser extent. It is not a surprise that our kids also love games.

My youngest is 5, and he LOVES toys. If he has unlimited access to video games or tv or tablets, however, he won't play with the toys AT ALL.

It got to the point that he told me very seriously that he NEEDED to play Mario Kart, because he was going to be a race car driver when he grew up, and I had told him you have to practice to be good at stuff.

We have rules now. Friday night is unlimited screen time. We play family video games (Minecraft, various Mario games, Lego Batman, etc) from the time dinner is over until they get tired.

There are no video games Mon - Thur. They have to <gasp> play (or do homework). In good weather, they are outside with the neighborhood kids. The only exception is the occasional educational game. I have a few apps on my phone and the tablet that help learn letters that I let him sometimes while I cook dinner. The older girls have a few apps geared to their level as well. They have to earn the right to play these games.

Weekends vary, depending on what is going on, how good they were that week, how tired we parents are, etc.

My husband has changed his habits too. Instead of disappearing to his computer as soon as dinner was over, he spends time downstairs with us until the kids start getting ready for bed. I think we are all a lot happier now, and there is a lot less "I'm boooooored" from the kids.

[HighFlyingBird]

Originally Posted by Lucidkitty

With some children that is the case. Not all children are good with unlimited screen time or unlimited anything for that matter. You can't paint every person with broad brush strokes. That study is not a bad one. However, it also states that the best predictor for attention issues was the total amount of screen time each child had.

Ok, well I have raised 4 and had 3 long term foster kids. It did it to all of them too, some more then others. Like my son is more susceptible then my daughter is now.

Kids do burn calories playing with toys

[~HecateWhisperCat~]

Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird

Ok, well I have raised 4 and had 3 long term foster kids. It did it to all of them too, some more then others. Like my son is more susceptible then my daughter is now.

Eh, if you say so. I am having a hard time believing that though.

Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird

Kids do burn calories playing with toys

Yes they can also burn calories with video games as well, depending on the game. Not too many kids burn that many calories playing legos either. It's all depending on the activity.

[~HecateWhisperCat~]

Originally Posted by Mattie

Smart! That's how we limited usage too. We also never dedicated a tv to a game system. The system was hooked up to the family room set, which made it easy to monitor.


We did the same thing, no electronics in the morning. It made life so much easier when we did.


Sorry LK, but since you aren't a parent, you aren't approaching the issue from the same place we are. Any distraction can get a kid off task. Some are more worthwhile than others, and I lump a good book in there.

Since you pretty much agreed with me there I fail to see why you are trying to negate my opinion . Me not being a parent doesn't mean I can't recognize that children have issues staying on task.

Originally Posted by Mattie

Until an elementary teacher chimes in and posts something along the lines of "kids who have hours of screen time each day are better prepared for a school and have less trouble paying attention in class", I'll remain skeptical of the claims that hours of passive entertainment are beneficial.

None will be able to do that because they don't live with the children and can't say definitively.

[HighFlyingBird]

there is lots of money in saying video games are good for kids...lots of money loss in saying they arent. I will believe the advance degree child therapists, OTs and seasoned teachers I have spoken to about this

[WildColonialGirl]

Originally Posted by ChrisFromChicago

i've seen that passive items like TV a is kind of negative but video games has a lot of positive impact, per the articles i've found. Games are not passive, the research I found noted, and thus aren't in the same class.

just food for thought.


if you have any articles different, let me know. Some stuff about violence. . .but eh, week cheese.

However, TV is orders of magnitude less addictive than games. Movement and interaction aren't the difference between, say, a video game and legos, it's boredom and creativity. Boredom breeds creativity, and that's what gets you ahead in life. Rather than doing homework with a preschooler and signing them up for a thousand activities, send them into the backyard for a few hours.

[Mistermobile]

Originally Posted by ChrisFromChicago

Growing up I remember loving toys, for a long time. Never thought I would leave them behind.

Then I found video games, as a young teen, and never looked back.

My son goes to daycare (no games really) and does play with things there. Legos, etc. Yet at home, if available, the only thing he cares to play is video games. He asks for Lego toys and he asks for toys all the time. . .

but he will sit and assemble (or help me assemble) then its back to a game. Most of his birthday gifts from his recent party are being played with by his brother (2 year olds) . .

Its a very game friendly household, i'm a big gamer mysef.

I played. They teach you cause and effect, to develop tactics, to look before you leap, and the best ones - make friends not enemies.

[~HecateWhisperCat~]

Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird

there is lots of money in saying video games are good for kids...lots of money loss in saying they arent. I will believe the advance degree child therapists, OTs and seasoned teachers I have spoken to about this

I've already linked to studies in which they show the beneficial parts of playing

[HighFlyingBird]

Originally Posted by WildColonialGirl

However, TV is orders of magnitude less addictive than games. Movement and interaction aren't the difference between, say, a video game and legos, it's boredom and creativity. Boredom breeds creativity, and that's what gets you ahead in life. Rather than doing homework with a preschooler and signing them up for a thousand activities, send them into the backyard for a few hours.

Totally agree with this

[matryoshka4811]

I'd say it really depends on the specific child. My parents never allowed video games of any sort in our home. Video games were something my mother blamed for my cousins being overweight and not as good in school when we were kids. Those cousins are now in great jobs (pharmacist and HS teacher) and doing just fine. My DH and his sister played plenty of video games growing up and both are considered healthy and successful. Neither of them were unhealthy children physically or socially. However, now that I consider myself a gamer and have made friends through them, there are plenty of people I know who do nothing besides game and it negatively impacts their lives in many ways. All this to say, as someone who's been around gamers her whole life, there is no black/white line that video games are good or bad. Like anything it depends on the personality of the user, just as any other activity.

There are however games that are useful in teaching problem solving, consequences of decisions, logic, and whatnot. Candy crush, Farmville, etc do not count! Those are obsessive activities that I would not encourage in kids. I know some parents on here say that gaming is anti-social (it can be) and encourages kids to sit around all day (it can). However when I was a kid, I read constantly. That is a sedentary activity without social interaction as well. My parents would push me out the door and I'd just sit on the porch with a book instead. Anything to excess can be an issue, including that.

Another note: playing a video game is not like watching TV. I do both, they are different and my brain is doing different things in both activities.