Need Opinions--Is a 6yr old too young for a Playstation 2 set?

**ajrsmom** · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-2003, 09:48 AM

My husband is set on buying my son a Playstation 2 for Christmas. On the other hand, I think that he is still too young for this. Afterall, he still watches cartoons & videos and uses our computer ....I think that these are enough "boxes" for him to stare at. I want him to be motivated to use his imagination to busy himself more.

Please give me your opinions on this and also tell me if your kids have this system or a compatible one. Has it taken over a lot of their activities? Do you limit the use of it?

Im not happy about this at all but then again maybe Im over-reacting. Am I?

I will be sharing these opinions with him whatever they turn out to be.

Thanks!!!
Tami

hlfpntbl47 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-2003, 08:01 PM

Personally -

Playstation 2 cannot harm. Good for hand/eye coordination,
memory and knowledge.

It's up to you as the parent to monitor content and amount
of time your son spends on the station. Too much of anything
is no good.

Just my opinion, good luck!

Abear · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-2003, 08:37 PM

Are you sure your DH wants the PS2 for the DS or perhaps for himself??

Okay, that said......

Quote:

Originally posted by hlfpntbl47
Playstation 2 cannot harm. Good for hand/eye coordination,
memory and knowledge.
It's up to you as the parent to monitor content and amount
of time your son spends on the station. Too much of anything
is no good.

I agree.

One tip though. B/4 you actually buy the PS2, shop around for PS1 and PS2 games that are age appropriate for your DS. (PS2 can also play PS1 games)

My two DS are ages 9 & 11. We find it difficult to find age appropriate games for them.

Does your son have a Game Boy Advance or the even newer one (think its the GB SP ) ? We find more age appropriate games for the GBA than we do the PS2.

A big plus for having a PS2 - you can watch DVD movies with it!

**ajrsmom** · #4 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 01:15 PM

Ok, Now that Ive cooled down a bit from the arguement that resulted from me telling him that I asked this question on here--I always tell him that he involves "the boys" at work too much in our personal matters ;-) but this is different we are all family here!

-- Im looking at both of your comments in a different light.

You are right that we are in controll of how much time he spends on these things--Im even considering some type of reward system for him to earn extra time for helping around the house and being good.

Yep, I have a feeling that DH will spend a lot of time on this too! LOL!!

Thats ok though, it frees up the computer for me!!

I knew that you could use PS1 games on the PS2 but I didnt know about the hard time finding age appropriate games for him and this is a big deal to me. I will talk to my husband about this fact too. One of the neighbor kids ( she will be 6 1/2 by the time he is 6) has a Gameboy and he liked playing it.

But now that you mention that DVDs can be played on the PS2, he can watch his tv while we are watching something too.....win, win there.

Did I mention that we passed up a good 19" colored tv for $5.00 at a yard sale about a month ago!!!

Ill see if we can have a civil conversation about this without him saying "I told you".

Thanks, Ladies, for your thoughts!!

Any other opinions out there??

mom2-4 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-06-2003, 02:23 PM

I completely agree with both the opinions. Especially to look around for the age appropriate games. My DH had a Nintendo system when my oldest two were 4-6 years old, and Nintendo at that time had some really neat age appropriate games. But, now I have not looked at games for younger ones. As the younger two are not really interested yet or use the computer!!

One thing about the reward system, I noticed that he will be six by christmas, so I am thinking that he will be starting school this fall? I would be sure to tie in grades/behaviour in school with the reward system. I think this might motivate him a little more in school??

Good luck.

Txchef_fran · #6 (**permalink**) 08-07-2003, 07:40 AM

Get teh playstation if the kid is wanting it and you can afford it. Then limit his time without depriving him of playing. My DH wanted one last Christmas and we already had a PS1 that no one played anymore so my thought was it was a waste of money. Soon to be forgotten and much money paid! then when i found out it played DVD's as well I was in. now DSS or other can watch a DVD in another part of the house freeing up the other TV. Meaning now my DH and I can rent rated R movies if we want to watch them and then get antother DVD for DSS.

Another thing is if you don't get it he will play it somewhere. We have friends that refuse to get their son one so everytime they come over that is all the kid wants to do. He spends the night and I have to tell him to get off of it where as my DSS is like hey cna we go out and play some basketball now. I am tired of playing this game.

My DSS plays SSS Tricky (it is a snowboarding game) we do not allow him to have violent games and he knows he is only allowed to play once his chores are done and then only for an hour at a time. He does get to play a couple of times a day on the weekend buy he is not "parked" in front of it all weekend. he knows he has to always ask before he plays and then once he is done he has to put it away (not leave the controllers laying out) or he doesn't get to play it the next day.

My DSS is 7 and loves it but gets tired of it after a game or two and will go do something else.

My opinion is don't be too strict where it becomes a craving. It is fun and you know everyone can play too!! I have a tetris game that we play together and race to get points.

Don't let them play all the time, limit their games to age appropriate games adn have fun with them doing it and it can be a great addition.

**ajrsmom** · #7 (**permalink**) 08-07-2003, 10:12 AM

Just checking in to let you all know that we are going to buy a PS2 for him for Xmas. He has no idea that we have been talking about buying one.

Thanks for all of your opinions. They have really helped in making me see that I wasnt being rational.

Im on the lookout for games that are on sale now, LOL!!

Has anyone ever purchased anything like a PS2 off of Ebay? Just wondering if that is a reliable place to buy stuff like that?

hlfpntbl47 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-08-2003, 11:36 PM

Good Luck!!

Anybody who quotes Laura Ingalls Wilder has got to have a
head on their shoulders!

Jeannie · #9 (**permalink**) 08-16-2003, 12:41 PM

ajrsmom

Everybody won! Communication is a very important part of a successful relationship! Brava! Bravo!... *s*

#10 (**permalink**) 08-16-2003, 02:51 PM

The media watchers and your pediatrician can probably tell you that a child's screen time should be limited not expanded. Read or watch Media-wise Kids.

My children are still living and breathing without any of it. We also have a rule that when other kids are over to play that everyone plays - no one watches TV or the computer. Exception is showing how to run programs or trick on one they both have a copy of.

And why invest in another device rather than stick to a PC? And, they keep upgrading the playstation devices more often than software changes.

There is more than enough TV and computer programs to keep my kids busy. No cable TV and no game-only systems in this house of computer experts.

Invest in duplos and legos and wooden blocks and trains. Get good binoculars and go bird watching. And when the time comes, teach them how to type correctly. Much more important skill in this job market than an early mastery of eye-hand coordination.