Would you let YOUR kids play?

[mip0]

I'm not planning on getting any kids but sometimes I tea bag my PS3 controller. Does that count?

 

[Generic_Dave]

Usually I play them first and then decide what's right for my lil'un. At the moment, he's only looking to play bright and fuzzy Wii games, and his DS, but every so often he comes up with a game that makes me think...say for Christmas he wanted UFC, not because he's ever seen it, but because he likes wrestling and one of his wee chums was talking about the UFC because his older bro watches it, so I pulled out an old WWE game I had lying around and he was bored in ten minutes, and promptly forgot about it...it made me think though. He's 6, and I had no problem with him playing a WWE game, an older one, but still fairly violent, but I wouldn't let him play UFC in a million years...same Dev, similar idea, but no way.

Basically I won't let him play anything with blood, or everyday weaponry, try to stear clear of knifes or any improvised weaponry.I'll stick to that until he hits about thirteen, then he can play teen / 15 games, as long as they're not too bad. After that I'd say M will be on a case by case. I played the older GTA's at 14-19 (can;t remember exactly how old I was when I played GTA on the PSOne, but too young, I digress) but the newer ones are a lot more realistic and bloody rather than the cartoonish quality of the older ones. Maybe its hypocritical, but the hobby isn't the same as when I was 12-13, it has grown up immensely in the last 15 years or so.

 

[EHKOS]

Of course I would let them play whatever, it's a game. As long as they can distinguish that from real life, I'm fine with them stealing a car, shooting innocent people they don't even know(really it's just throwing ones and zeros and more ones and zeros) fleeing from police for a few hours/seconds and then committing explosive suicide, IF they can walk away and not let it interfere with real life. If GTAIV really sold as many copies as it did I highly doubt so many people are having trouble grappling with reality that they would go do somethign like that themselves.

Plus, I don't think they could find and purchase an RPG in New York.

 

[Jenova65]

Spoiler

(If you're wondering, I wouldn't want my kids to play Mass Effect when they're very young because I don't want to have to explain why shephard is 'wrestling' with the ladies.)

I still don't understand this mentality. I have to ask you directly.

First, are you a parent?

Second, why is learning about violence, and your children virtually shooting each other and others (ala Halo) okay, when learning about two characters who have feelings for each other making love is not?

I personally would much rather let my children let's say 8-12 play games with romantic themes (even if there is a little side-cleavage) than violent ones. I can explain to my child why people have sex, I cannot explain to them why they shoot at each other. When my kid grows up, I want them to have sex with someone, I don't want them to shoot someone. It all seems really logical to me.

I did a lengthy post [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/9.178178] about this subject that I encourage you to read and respond to.

Depends on the maturity of the children. If they're capable of understanding the romantic themes, then yes. If not, then it wouldn't be advisable. Children who are exposed to things like that without the understanding can have social issues.

(My wife was a preschool teacher. There can be very serious behavioural ramifications.)

Goodness I'm sure that SavingPrincess wasn't talking about children that young, they shouldn't be playing violent or romantic themes, surely? She did even say 8-12 years, not pre school!

Oh definitely not! I (it's "he" by the way) don't think that preschoolers should be playing anything like that! I was really referring to the age group that can grasp the concept of a narrative. It would also be an opportunity to sit down and discuss it with the child, as in what they thought the story was about, why they thought things that took place happened. I would view movies the same way. All opportunities for conversations; my mother and I talked constantly about "why this was this" or "why that was that." It not only formed my ability to discuss, debate and question logically, but also solidified my relationship with her and allowed me to discuss even more complex issues growing up through the teenage years without fear of what would come of it.

In that case.... Great name! And I still agree totally, I am a mum of three kids and honesty really is the best policy. I say 3 'kids', the eldest is 19 this year the middle one 16 this year and the youngest is almost 11 months.

 

[Zeldadudes]

Personal Anecdote:

I was once playing World of Warcraft and a walked up to a Priest and said "Could I get a Stamina buff please?"
The person didn't reply so i asked again "Could I get a Stamina buff please?"
A person then ran in front of me and said "Oh hang on i'll get her to do it for you"
I was given the buff and then asked the person how he got the Priest to do it.
It was basically a father and daughter and she has her text off and he has it on...

The reason i say this is because i thought that there is nothing more sentimental to a child/teen than parental contact...
I would relish in joy if my father ever asked to play Halo with me but he never did. Thats not to say i don't have a good relationship with him though.

I would only let my child play a game if i played it with them.

 

[Blanks]

If i were to ever have kids(Huge If) i would start them off on the older games some nintendo, super nintendo and N64 which with those games, yes i would let them play T and M rated games then move them up to PS2 and so on

the game really matters more than the rating, it also helps to explain the major difference between game time and real life time

 

[tetron]

My kids would spend ages 0-7 knowing only of snes generation consoles. I would go to extreme lengths to make sure they remained oblivious of the others. At age 7, and if they show adequate skill with previous consoles, they will be introduced to the N64 and PSX as well as the PC. at 13 they would be allowed to play the next generation. At 18 they can play whatever they want but it's sure as hell not going to be in my house. They can play whatever rating of game they want at any age. If I allow one mature game I'd see no need to not allow all of them and I'm not so full of hatred for everyone and everything that I'd tell my kid they can't play Doom..

 

[Battenbergcake]

I strongly agree.

 

[IamQ]

I'll let them play T rated games when they're 8. Depending on how they are, I could easily let them play M rated games aswell.

 

[Serge A. Storms]

I think my greater concern with a game like Mass Effect is that a child might actually grow up thinking that the best way to get laid is to say the nicest, sappiest thing in every situation. If I ever have a kid, I don't want him/her to grow up thinking that the right way to attract a mate is to lie and manipulate him/her out of his/her pants. It may seem petty to think about such things, especially at such a young age, but those tendencies and the formation of the basic ideas on which a person believes a relationship is founded start to develop at a very young age, and I'll be damned if my hypothetical kid grows up a neurotic and unhappy because he/she learned about relationships from some electronic media instead of his/her parents.

That wouldn't stop me from letting them play Mass Effect, but it would mean that we would talk about it a lot.

 

[Riobux]

If I had kids, yes. God yes I would. While I'd try to balance the time they spend and try to make sure they don't grow up damaged so they end up using some of the ideas from the games in real life.

 

[VanityGirl]

(If you're wondering, I wouldn't want my kids to play Mass Effect when they're very young because I don't want to have to explain why shephard is 'wrestling' with the ladies.)

I still don't understand this mentality. I have to ask you directly.

First, are you a parent?

Second, why is learning about violence, and your children virtually shooting each other and others (ala Halo) okay, when learning about two characters who have feelings for each other making love is not?

I personally would much rather let my children let's say 8-12 play games with romantic themes (even if there is a little side-cleavage) than violent ones. I can explain to my child why people have sex, I cannot explain to them why they shoot at each other. When my kid grows up, I want them to have sex with someone, I don't want them to shoot someone. It all seems really logical to me.

I did a lengthy post [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/9.178178] about this subject that I encourage you to read and respond to.

First note I'm talking about young kids, like 5-8. I've seen far too many of them online in mature games they have NO business playing.

If my kid's too young, I'm not going to explain sex to them. End of story. I'm sure even with Mass Effect's mild sex scene, my kid (if they're young) would wonder what they were doing.
Now, honestly, the thing with Jack and Shephard in ME2 is not making love, in fact, you can't really argue that there's a love connection between Shephard and Jack, Jack just wants to fuck, put bluntly. If my kid's a bit older and asks about sex in Mass Effect, I'll talk about it.
In Halo, the child's not shooting people. You don't shoot people in Halo, you shoot aliens. Believe it or not, there is a difference. I'd rather my kid grow up shooting aliens than people. I know a few people who let their kids play alien shooting games when they're young, but not games like Modern Warfare.


If you're asking, no I'm not a parent, but I'm getting older and kids are becoming a real concept to me. I've been thinking about all aspects of raising my kids.
My boyfriend and I live together, but we notice differences in personalities based around video games.

Allow me to elaborate:
My mother restricted what kids of games I could play when I was young. Young being 5-10. After 10, if I could tell her about a game and she gave it a good look at and knew I was mature enough to handle it, she'd let me play.

My boyfriend's mother let video games be his babysitter when he was young, meaning he could play anything he wanted to. And he's noticed problems based around that. A lot of it being resentment to his mom for not looking after his well being.
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I will agree and have not said to the contrary, that some children can handle mature content. However, I believe it is the responsibility of the parent to moniter what their kids are watching, playing and reading.
If my kid is 11 and they want to play Mass Effect, then fine, if they can grasp what sex is and can understand that the man and woman in the game "love" each other, then fine.

I think a lot of people think I'm trying to be overly strict. But honestly, I pity parents who let their kids to play anything and wonder why their 7 year old curses like a sailor.

 

[Wolfram23]

I plan to sensor my kid's games until they're maybe 10 or so. At the very least kids like to imitate things they like - I remember in elementary, playing "Power Rangers" was banned because a kid got kicked in the stomach and pissed blood even tho it was all in good fun. So, I'll let them play mario games or um... well, maybe break out the SNES and let them play that... But no games with guns and gory blood till they're at least somewhat calmed down and unlikely to mimic it. And even then I'd obviously limit the games - probably no GTA or Resident Evil type stuff till 14/15. I remember playing Res Evil 2 on N64 when I was... oh I dunno 15 and it was quite scary. Not scarring or anything, in fact I think scary games helped me get over that "scared of the dark" nonsense most children have. But, if I had played it at a younger age I don't know what it might have done to me. Gotta be ready for it.

 

[JEBWrench]

I honestly think you should re read
''I personally would much rather let my children let's say 8-12 play games with romantic themes (even if there is a little side-cleavage) than violent ones.''
And I think the comment was more about society accepting violence more easily than sex and love. That is how I read it anyway.

I understood that; however, the original post said
"(If you're wondering, I wouldn't want my kids to play Mass Effect when they're very young because I don't want to have to explain why shephard is 'wrestling' with the ladies.)"

And 8-12 can be a difficult age, and that's why I referred to maturity level rather than age. Some eight year olds can be more mature than teenagers.

 

[happyvampyre]

It would depend on the game. I would play it first to make sure it was acceptable, unless it was something like "Mr. Huggles Fun Cotton-Candy AdventureLand." If the violence is obviously simulated, then I guess it's fine any age over 8 (I'm talking Halo simulated, not Mario. Mario's good at any age). If it's too gory, then 11 or so. Sexual references, it would depend on the maturity of the child. No age under 12, though. Drug and alcohol references are fine when they hit middle school, because that's when they'll be introduced to all that anyway. They'd get online when they reach highschool or middle school, depending on maturity. I'm all for violent games, but it's not smart to immerse someone in decimated bodies from the get go, and I don't want to have to pay for therapy.

 

[olcohalic]

Hmm... depends. Emotional scarring isn't the only problem since kids imitate EVERYTHING. So I guess I wouldn't let them play anything without telling them it's all fake.

I have vivid memories of jumping on and off the kitchen table/couches in a blue jacket yelling "IM MEGAMAN!" and trying to run like sonic.

Ooh, i used to run like sonic, with my arms flailing behind my back... i didn't get any faster though. Those were the days...

But on topic: My system for everything with certificates is: watch PG's whenever, 12's when they're around 10, 15's when they hit teenage years, 18's when they are 15. It's the way my dad did it. I was pretty mature and not stupid so i was allowed GTA San Andreas when i was 12! I'm 15 right now and I don't care much for watching 18's, so i guess the system worked well. This is probably different from the certificate ratings in America but... erm... yeah.

 

[Jenova65]

I honestly think you should re read
''I personally would much rather let my children let's say 8-12 play games with romantic themes (even if there is a little side-cleavage) than violent ones.''
And I think the comment was more about society accepting violence more easily than sex and love. That is how I read it anyway.

I understood that; however, the original post said
"(If you're wondering, I wouldn't want my kids to play Mass Effect when they're very young because I don't want to have to explain why shephard is 'wrestling' with the ladies.)"

And 8-12 can be a difficult age, and that's why I referred to maturity level rather than age. Some eight year olds can be more mature than teenagers.

But that wasn't the same poster so the point is moot to the poster you quoted, iyswim? Since SavingPrincess stated the age at 8-12 (which I also imagine would be a judgement call on the individual) or they would just have said 8 (or 12) as a benchmark. I know about the age 8-12 btw as a parent to 3 kids between the ages of 18 years (eldest) and almost a year (youngest, obviously) And having many friends who have children

 

[JEBWrench]

But that wasn't the same poster so the point is moot to the poster you quoted, iyswim? Since SavingPrincess stated the age at 8-12 (which I also imagine would be a judgement call on the individual) or they would just have said 8 (or 12) as a benchmark. I know about the age 8-12 btw as a parent to 3 kids between the ages of 18 years (eldest) and almost a year (youngest, obviously) And having many friends who have children

I grok that; but it seemed to me (and apparently it is so, judging by the quoted poster's stated range), a difference between the quoted poster by SP and SP's age range.

Our youngest is in that magical 8-12 range. And when she was 8, it would've been likely a no. Now, at 11, it's more likely to be a yes, because she's stunningly more mature now.

 

[PrimoThePro]

i let in a trickle at a time, (assume they are like 6 - 10)fun racing games like mario when they are young, maybe some platformers, or crash bandicoot (OLD ONES) after that, maybe a few shooters, no crazy bloody shooters, maybe modern warfare, TF2 (3?!!?!) or like halo.(they are like 11 - 13 now, lets assume.) after that, let them play whatever they want. 14 is the year, guys. i played my first M rated game, and i realized at that age, that when you do stuff in GTA in real life, you will get messed UP. I knew my place at 14, my parents are understanding solid people who know where its at, so im good now. perhaps itll work just like that for my kids.

 

[Thaius]

It depends on the game.

I think it is important that a kid be mature enough to know what is happening when playing a violent game. A while ago a mom that I know was upset because she saw her 11-year old son playing the airport scene at a friend's house (these friends are known to not give a crap what their kids do). Problem being, that scene is not meant to be a fun, "I gets to shoot the peoples!" type scene: it's a horrible thing that's happening. But being 11, this kid has no idea what games can do like that: he just plays because they're fun. He's not mature enough to really understand what is happening.

I think that can be dangerous, and the parents who let their kids play that got an immediate "crappy parent" award from me.

Point being, I will not let my kids play certain games until they are of a certain age. It's not a matter of censorship, it's a matter of maturity. I will give them what they can accurately process, and nothing more.