Bad Parents? Really?

[BringBackBuck]

Congratulations on your new son, and I hope your wife has a speedy recovery from her surgery!

On topic, as someone who is just entering the "maybe it's time for kids" stage, I've given a lot of thought as to how I would handle it if my kids became avid gamers like my husband and I, and the conclusion I have drawn is that I'm going to have to trust my instincts and do my research. Unlike my parents (who have no interest in games), I look forward to gaming with my kids, so I plan on using the tools on hand (like the internet and ESRB ratings) to determine whether or not a game is appropriate and playing the games myself to make sure. If I find it inappropriate, I won't let them have it. Simple as that. Lucky thing for my future spawn that I have a low bar for appropriateness - by 8 or 9 I think the only thing I would restrict would be games with gratuitous sex, as I myself was playing pretty violent stuff at that age and I turned out ok. As for consoles, I think that I wouldn't restrict any if we could afford it, and some would be extremely handy for keeping them quiet on long car rides.

The bottom line is, video games aren't going to hurt anyone's precious snowflake, and neither is the lack of them. It's up to parents to decide what is appropriate for their children, and what they can afford, on an individual basis. Besides, you may have bigger problems to worry about in 16 or 17 years.

Thanks.

I also think that is a pretty healthy attitude, and that is pretty much the way I am going to play it. We will be the first generation of parents who grew up gaming, so it should be a lot easier for us than our parents.

though I still do not trust that beady eyed little bastard with the mustache

 

[fishman279]

Snip

You DO sense the hate? I thought I was the only one I've not liked Nintendo since they destroyed my much loved Pokemon series by adding more of them then transferring it to the DS. Also for the fact that most people have one (I don't know why that annoys me, actually. It just does.) But don't take me as a fan of Sony either, I'm an Xbox man myself.

The avatar kind of gives it away. But Nintendo really doesn't bother me for one main reason. I'm too poor to buy any of the new handhelds so I just play Crystal on my GBA.

Ah the GBA, my first gaming machine...how I loved it... I just don't like them destroying titles by endlessly re-releasing them. I played all of the Zelda's on gameboy (Oracle of Seasons, Time etc...) and I loved them, but It's always the same game with a different story now.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[FROGGEman2]

Haha, I love this, good job. I think I'll just keep in touch with gaming, get to know what's good and what's not.

Then again, I expect to be a very, very relaxed parent.

So you're going to put an end to the complaining..........by complaining?

As a gamer, I'd like to think that when I'm older, I'll understand that the games my child is playing aren't a waste of time or dangerous to him/her in any way.
Besides, if I take them off him/her, they'll just complain about me on internet forums anyway, apparently.

No, he's adding a new perspective.

Melbourne suitable?
14 year olds can get ecstasy(sp?) there, Australia is in no way a suitable place to raise children.

Aaaaaaaargh!

Please, enough with this uneducated bullshit, you don't need to directly attack Australia. Why waste your entire post on flaming Australia?

Anyway, reported.

Well,. personally I hate kids. The annoying bastards will only sap time and money. And the chances of my so much as having sex are very low, as I am asexual. So if I ever had a kid I would be scared, for I would have no idea how it happened.

Really?

You... asexual?

B-b-b-but that's not fair! How dare you squander your sexiness!

 

[Kud]

snip

your avatar is awesome.

Wow, Nintendo made a really bad call, naming the game 'Super Mario Peadophile Adventures' and releasing it on Playstation.

lol

 

[FROGGEman2]

Haha, I love this, good job. I think I'll just keep in touch with gaming, get to know what's good and what's not.

Then again, I expect to be a very, very relaxed parent.

So you're going to put an end to the complaining..........by complaining?

As a gamer, I'd like to think that when I'm older, I'll understand that the games my child is playing aren't a waste of time or dangerous to him/her in any way.
Besides, if I take them off him/her, they'll just complain about me on internet forums anyway, apparently.

No, he's adding a new perspective.

Melbourne suitable?
14 year olds can get ecstasy(sp?) there, Australia is in no way a suitable place to raise children.

Aaaaaaaargh!

Please, enough with this uneducated bullshit, you don't need to directly attack Australia. Why waste your entire post on flaming Australia?

Anyway, reported.

Well,. personally I hate kids. The annoying bastards will only sap time and money. And the chances of my so much as having sex are very low, as I am asexual. So if I ever had a kid I would be scared, for I would have no idea how it happened.

Really?

You... asexual?

B-b-b-but that's not fair! How dare you squander your sexiness!

Dude, I LIVE in Australia. If you're going to report, get your assumptions right. Australia is my home, but it's also a very dangerous place (forget the animals you hear about, the people are much worse) the amount of shit that goes on in the Suburbs in Australia is much alot worse than any of this bloods and crips bullshit you hear about in America.

Oh.

...And, what?

Dude, drugs? Maybe just bad exposure, I have no idea where you're coming from.

 

[13752]

Wow, Nintendo made a really bad call, naming the game 'Super Mario Peadophile Adventures' and releasing it on Playstation.

Actually made me laugh xD

Kids don't udnerstand how much time parents invest in them. You can't blame them; they don't see what the parents do, find out the emotions behind the parental structure and lives are self-revolving. That's just natural.

I'm 16 writing this btw.

 

[Klepa]

So my question is this: What do you think you would do when you are 45yo and your son is playing Super Mario Paedophile Adventure on his PS17?

The same thing my dad did with me.
Get my ass handed to me in a videogame, by a 10-year-old.

 

[CognitiveDissonance]

9 weeks ago my wife gave birth to my son. After 9 months of pregnancy and a 12 hour labour that had complications and resulted in an emergency caesarean my son was born. It was the most awesome moment of my life. Since then I have been changing nappies, been shat on, pissed on, and vomited on. I no longer go out drinking with my mates, my gaming time has been reduced to pretty much zero. I changed jobs and moved from inner city Sydney to suburban Melbourne so that I could buy a house in a suitable environment to raise kids. I get 4-5 hours of poor interrupted sleep and get up and go to work 10 hours a day to provide for my family. Since my wife is now out of the workforce we now live on half the income we did 6 months ago. In short I have sacrificed a hell of a lot for my boy and its only been 9 weeks.

After 16-17 years I will have invested more love, time, energy and money in my boy than you can possibly imagine. At that point it is possible my son will be playing some sort of game on some sort of machine that I dont quite understand but I think is probably bad for him. I have no idea what I will do. But I might take away his computer/games/not buy stuff for him and feel completely justified in my actions.

So my question is this: What do you think you would do when you are 45yo and your son is playing Super Mario Paedophile Adventure on his PS17?

Just wondering, you sound more than a little embittered, do you, even a little bit, regret having a son? Is it disheartening that you can never really aspire to a greater station that you already are due to time commitments etc. Nor can you leave your job for a new chance at something different, for if it doesnt work out, you will be unemployed and the extra burden of your wife and child with no incomes will simply be far too much. I'm not trying to get you down or anything, these are just (some of) my thoughts as to why i would not wish to have a child. I'm very interested in your opinion on the matter.

I completely agree that you deserve the opportunity to spend time with your adolescent children, although not only as some sort of unwilling repayment of a debt for putting a roof over their head etc... It ought to be voluntary and enjoyable for the both of you.

That being said, i'm surprised you have such a negative perspective on the gaming scene, being a self-professed gamer yourself. For what its worth, in my honest opinion, being a gamer, although not a 'hardcore' 4 - 5 hour a day after school etc kind of teenager, is certainly benefical. Due to schooling stereotypes etc gamers are often not involved in the more unsavory elements of high school/college and in turn can achieve more in their education.

In answer to your question, disregarding the fact the game is about pedophiles and italian men, I would let my kids play the games simply because i find that the general social group of gamers facillitates learning and progressive interaction.

 

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Wow, Sony really lost it when the PS13 came out, I mean buying Nintendo was a bad move.

Sony will never have that much money

I'd like to think that someday, someday...Nintendo can finally cough it's last withering breath and die. But as long as there are 5 year old brats screaming "WANT WANT WANT!" this will never happen...

Do I sense a little bit of Nintendo hate there. But I think Nintendo will never die. Well not in my lifetime anyway (and I'm happy with that). If anything it'll be the other way around.

Really? Sony own a vast electronics empire all over the world. They have their own record company branch which owns Simon Cowells company. Their PS3 brand is around 1% of everything they do and own and they make around 50 billion a year. I think it wont be the other way around.

 

[dark_taint92]

snip

haha well thank you i aim to please. theres a few people on here who hate jack black so im waiting till they pick up on it.

 

[revjay]

Just in case the new parents missed it, learn this lesson well; http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=beat

 

[Kud]

snip

how could anyone hate Jack Black? He killed the devil with pure rock.

 

[Enigmers]

I think that before your son reaches the age where he can play a game like "Super Mario Paedophile Adventure" you'd have taught him enough to:
A: decide what games he would or would not want to play, and
B: realize that games are only for entertainment. Oh, and
C: know that if the games are affecting him in a way you don't like (dropping grades, for example) you have the right to take away his games until the situation improves.

 

[Seydaman]

Even if one wants to feel grateful to their parents it will always be a challenge because it will be hard to feel grateful to something that you have always had, for example (In many well off families which can afford to spend cash on their children) television,food,soda,shelter. But OT: I don't want any kids so I dunno

 

[Ace of Spades]

At that point it is possible my son will be playing some sort of game on some sort of machine [strong]that I don't quite understand but I think is probably bad for him.[/strong]

That pretty much sums up why I complain. It would be nice if you took the time to understand. That would be better for all involved.

 

[similar.squirrel]

The only complaint I can make is that they're far too permissive and put up with my bullshit to a scary degree.
Odd though it may sound, I wouldn't mind strict parents. That were in control of their own lives. My family is sort of split down the middle when it comes to outlook and morals.

 

[Erana]

I'm simply going to teach my child to not like things I consider trash.
Worked for my mother (sorta.)
I mean, after my father drilled video games in my head as a little girl, she has still managed to make me feel too uncomfortable to ever try Grand Theft Auto.

Oftentimes, threads complaining about adult figures in one's life are just ungrateful banter, but I do think there is a line in which it can go from being "I didn't get what I want" to something emotionally abusive.

 

[Rancid0ffspring]

My nephew is about 2 years old now. Quite frankly I'm worried when he comes up to me saying "exshboksh sean" & tries to drag me to my room. I'd much rather my nephew enjoy things a small child should be enjoying at his age. My sister doesn't want him playing games & I can understand why.
I spent a ridiculous amount of my childhood playing games. Whilst not a wasted childhood there are many other things I could have been doing. Getting EXP in a game isn't any kind of comparison to real life experiences.
I like my games but I wish I had got in to Blading much earlier in my life. That didnt happen because I rarely went out. I'd like to see my nephew enjoy more things than sitting in a room.
Sorry if this offends anyone & possibly comes over a bit hypocritcal.

EDIT: Everyone going Mario on a sony machine? Erm... SONIC on a NINTENDO machine. FFS about 6 - 7(time span may be off a bit) years ago that would never happen but lo & behold

 

[Rancid0ffspring]

I live in Western Sydney, which holds a fuckload of Suburbs, there are lots of drug activity around here. A 14 year old friend of mine in Melbourne easily got her hands on Ecstasy.

I live in a suburb outside WAY outside london. I can easily get hold of whatever I may want(although I don't anymore) & I know people much younger than me that can do the same... Accesibilty of drugs isn't the matter being discussed though

EDIT: DAMNIT sorry about yet another double post