I Hate Nickelodeon!!

You rock Lei.

So, you were not raised playing video games for hours on end, now that you've bought them with your own money - you play some, but not tons. Did I get that correct? and you would rather spend your time beating people up in the real world than on a screen? ---- Now that's what I'm talking about.

Real fighting >> imaginary fighting

We owned 2 garage apartments in our back yard (since torn down and replaced with 1260 square foot shop). We rented one to a guy (and his WIFE and BABY) - he would set up multiple t.v.s and have 12-14 hour video game sessions with about 15 guys. What a loser. (since divorced, big shock)
 
I think at a certain point, the world slaps everyone in the face. It slapped me in the face when I realize working 9-5 totally sucks and I don't get how anyone can do it.

I think at a certain point though, parents should prepare their children such that the slap would be like a tickle. I've been to a private school myself, and many parents block many of the things other children can do freely: such as play games, go on the net, etc, etc. Of course, parents should control and explain things to growing minds, but for several hours a day, that child isn't going to have you around, and someday when that child no longer has you around, only your words and the world remain. Children remember a lot parents tell them, especially around early childhood times. By simply explaining things, you can save your child from going wild and crazy. I'm not talking about criminal crazy, but I've seen many children throw away their future at college by doing things uncontrolled and spending a lot of time exploring things their parents blocked them from doing.

Things were meant to be enjoyed. Games, movies, music, etc. If you block these things, children will want to explore it, because well it's fun and a part of the modern world. It's like a caged bird. It wants to explore the outside world, but since it's blocked it can only have its imagination. When it's free, it dies because it doesn't know what to do and its imagination is met with the harsh realities. Does that mean you shoul go out and buy junior a copy of Grand Theft Auto and a case of 40s? No, it just means you should listen to what interest junior and try to either explain or perhaps explore by giving a little freedom. Perhaps teach them the meaning of patience and savings by giving children under 16 a chore that pays a small amount of money. Allow them to either save or spend on the things they want. You can also allow part time jobs for 8-10 hours a week and allow them to save the money to either buy things they want or save up for a car. Etc, etc.
 
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Our son has a money jar where he collects change. Some is given to him (grandma etc), and some he "earns" by helping daddy with a "job". He actually does help too. lol

He can work a wrench, impact, screwdriver, hammer - pretty much anything other than saws (don't let him do that just yet). We're trying to teach him the whole idea of doing something to earn money, then saving/spending that money you worked for. Hopefully it'll stick.

The other day he informed that daddy is the "big boss" and he is the "little boss". works for me. lol
 
LeiYunFat said:
I'm willing to bet most of us waste more time on the internet than watching tv or playing games.

The internet can be educational. But then again, it can be used as a medium for most things bad. Personally, I use my computer mostly for social networking and porn.


Also, until about 6 months ago, I lived video-game free (sans the PC games I played sporadically) life. My parents never got me a console or a game. I bought or leeched games myself. It wasn't until I decided to spend my own money to buy an xbox did I enter the world of console gaming. I spend on average, 1 hour a week playing it. If that. I like to spend my free time beating up other people, getting beat up (more common), and drinking.


I win this argument.
Click to expand...

Are you telling me they have porn on the internet??!! Dang, I need to check into that!:D
 
WOW! We were only talking video games, LOL :)

Not the "total package" on how to parent children, geesh, lol.

I can assure you my children KNOW the reality of life (keeping this simple), as I was the ROCK catalyst in making sure this was goanna happen. But, also, they have a SPICE for LIFE, and a ROCK ON spirit that will ever die.

I make them BELIEVE it can happen, baby!



Chillen
 
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I don't know if the time I spend to play is based on my upbringing. I think I just have different priorities right now. Over the winter break, though, I spent over 40 hours playing Mass Effect :D

But that's nothing compared to the countless hours I spend surfing the internet...
 
Video games are serious business. But is it really so different from other games? Football, baseball, soccer, etc are all games too that you play physically. It really only requires maybe one or two hours of your time per day, or maybe just one big hours during the weekends.

Perhaps the problem is that video games cover a wide range of issues. From war to sex, video games pretty much have it all. I was a little surprised playing God of War and saw a nude woman. It was the first time I've seen such things in a video game. The question is does video game have any negative or positive influence on young minds? I say not entirely. I think it does have influences, but I don't think it's on the scale of not telling the difference between reality and not. I think realistically, everyone knows murder is wrong. However, could these games have negative impact on other scales? Perhaps time is wasted playing it so much that you lose a job? Or perhaps you react violently when someone doesn't do what you want? Maybe small things such as this can be affected by games. Even so, I say it's up to the parents to decide. But I think talking it out, and trying to find a middle ground between what you want and what they want are more important than just banning it from the house. Everyone wants to play; it's just a matter of self-control really and how can you expect your children to have self-control as an adult by themselves when you controlled everythign they did under your roof?
 
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Letting your kids watch some tv and play video games is one thing, but do NOT give them their own laptop. My parents gave my 2 sisters and I our own laptops with high speed internet when I was in high school. When we got home from school we sat in our seperate rooms the whole night and if we needed to tell each other something, we would just IM. If we hadn't had seperate rooms or the computers, I think I would know my sisters better. We don't speak to each other now because we don't know each other. I grew up with Satelite tv and a Nintendo 64, but now I don't have internet or satelite/cable at home and don't miss it! I watch the Public Televison channel or the news only a couple hours a week, and I played a lot of video and computer games in Jr High.
 
I'm not extremely anti-video game. I don't plan on sheltering my future children from anything I see as negative. They do need to know what is out there and that they have a choice. I will teach them, yeah, video games can be fun but there are other more productive things to do.

It's true, as someone said, sports are just games too. But sports actually get kids moving. They get to be out in the sun, and in the fresh air working up a sweat. Most video games just have you sitting in front of a screen, moving your thumbs.

I think a lot of the childhood obesity problem can be traced to parents who just don't care what their kids do and don't monitor their screen time. The kids just sit in front of the video game system all day and eat junk. Most kids, I think, if given the choice would to that too. It's easier to sit and play games than it is to actually leave the house and interact with the world. That's why I think it's very important that parents monitor video game and TV time until the child is old enough to make a responsible decision about their future and their health.
 
Someone mentioned IMing their sisters while at home. Video games, tv, etc are one thing - but that's just nuts. Ok, so maybe sometimes we yelled across the house (driving our parents bonkers), but hell, at least we communicated other than through a screen.

I'm in no way anti-computer or anything (that would be insane lol), but all of the email/text messages/IMs, etc - it's crazy. Like George Lopez said on stage - white people don't even wanna talk to each other anymore!! OMG, she's by BFF!...

I'm training a lady, who, in an effort to get more activity in general in her daily life, has actually started getting up from her desk and walking to other people's desks instead of always emailing at work. Daily office life has become so "screen only" that it actually takes a specific effort to speak to people in person who are only 20-30 feet away. wow.
 
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