Parenting as a gamer.

[DrgoFx]

So with a recent discussion of the age levels for games being unbalanced, it started to make me think. Whether you are going to be a parents that games or if you are a parent that games, here is my question or discussion:

How are you going to parent your children, being a gamer yourself, if they wish to play video games at a young age?

For me, I will most likely take caution towards keeping MY games, as in the M Rated ones away from my children's grasp. I won't lock them away, but I'll hide them, I got that from my dad. I'll let the play under certain allowances, IE After they've finished their required chores [obviously.] I won't keep my child from playing M rated games when they are roughly 13 or 14 if they wish. They are not allowed to play online with a mic until they have had their voice change [girl doesn't matter to me right now.] And they will not have they're own console/laptop until they are roughly 10 - 15.

Those are my restrictions. One I am considering is dealing with the M Rated games, they'll have to be "supervised." I guess. Kind of like a "You can play them, but not whenever you want." I'm unsure, I kind of just want to ease them in. The one thing I don't want to be is inconsiderate of what my children play, knowing what kind of games there are, what kind of ratings they have, all that stuff.

 

[manic_depressive13]

If I ever have a child, which I won't, I'm not going to restrict the entertainment media they consume after the age of ten or eleven. Not only will they easily find a way to access MA rated games and such without my approval if they have half a brain, I'm also not willing to tell them what they are or are not allowed to enjoy. If violent games like God of War don't frighten them at ten, more power to them.

No mics because fuck mics. I've never needed one. They also don't get their own console or computer until they can afford their own. They can use the family computer/ television/ consoles.

 

[Carl The Manicorn]

I have four younger siblings (7,9,12,and 13 years old, respectivly). I let the two youngest play Left 4 Dead all the time. The oldest of the four is addicted to Oblivion. I don't really see a problem with them.

I love to play Left 4 Dead with them, because it teaches them to work together toward a common goal. Also, I'm teaching them how to survive the emminant zombie apocolypse.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Teach them moderation like everything else in life.

 

[Riki Darnell]

I don't want children but my cousin, who's lived next door to me since he was 1, I've let play almost all my games while he grew up. In fact he beat some games I didn't like on my profile for me lol. I think as long as a kid knows it's a game and they're not scared by it or anything, then if they want to play it let them. He was 10 when L4D came out and we played that ALL the time. He didn't try and shoot anything with a gun after or have nightmares, actually it made him the cool kid in the his class cause he got to to play M rated games lol. The only thing I never let him play was Dante's Inferno but only because of all the nudity and sexual stuff in it.

 

[omega 616]

Let them play what they like when they like, I don't care.

My brother had completed resident evil 1, 2 and 3 way before he was 10. I played them but wasn't really into them at that point, I did play a lot of manhunt at release though and I am 22 now, so work it out for yourselves.

The thing is, this community bang on about how against censorship they are and how games don't effect kids/people but want to restrict what there kid plays? Nah, fuck that.

I was left alone to play any game I wanted, for as long as I wanted with my brother all my child hood. I think I turned out ok.

 

[Suicida1 Midget]

If by some odd chance i get stuck with a kid, i have this mapped out. Boy you play the nes beat zelda and metroid then you can has snes and the sega. Beat sonic and metroid then you can have the n64/ps1. Beat FF7/ocarina of time/mario 64. Pretty much make him play retro games and once he shown he can beat some of the better games ill let him have a new console and libray of games. Nothing too graphic(i played them, i know whats good for a kid/whats not)So you wont have a sqeaker on xboxlive or psn.
Ill probably have to try the new age games b4 from the looks of it.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I going to used the age restriction on my child as in he or she won't play 15 or 18 games etc when he/ she is only 10.
Yes he/ she will hate me for that especially if the said mature game is awesome. I just won't allow myself to become one of those idiotic parent who let their child play adult games and competely ignoring the age certificate.

 

[robot slipper]

My son is 7 and I am quite happy for him to play age-appropriate games, I just limit the amount of time he plays, e.g. not at all on school nights. I still have my games by the XBox, but he is always aware of which ones he is allowed to play. I test him sometimes, and hold up something like Gears of War and say "Are you allowed to play this?" which gets an enthusiastic "No!!!". In any case, I don't let him play on the XBox or computer unattended anyway, so I always know what he's playing. He'll be allowed to play 15-rated games when he's 15 and 18-rated games when he's 18. Simples.

Then again, I was playing Mortal Kombat at the age of 10 or so, which involved ripping out people's spines and so forth, and it didn't do me no harm! I haven't ripped out any spines so far!

Unfortunately for him, I'm never going to be able to afford to get him a computer to have in his room, so when he's a teenager and wants to look at porn, he's going to have to do it the old fashioned way and buy a magazine! Hah!

I have four younger siblings (7,9,12,and 13 years old, respectivly). I let the two youngest play Left 4 Dead all the time. The oldest of the four is addicted to Oblivion. I don't really see a problem with them.

I love to play Left 4 Dead with them, because it teaches them to work together toward a common goal. Also, I'm teaching them how to survive the emminant zombie apocolypse.

I quite agree, that is a valuable lesson for today's youth

 

[NorthernStar]

I'm not a parent yet, but one day I hope to be.

Either way, 18+ games are definitely a no-go until the kid's about 15/16 years old.
I've worked in a game store and I've had too many parents buy their 7 year old a GTA game just because "this one was only 20 bucks". At one point a proud dad came in with his toddler who could barely form a coherent sentence, but knew exactly where Ezio's blades came out of his sleeves to "kill 'em"...

My childhood is filled with happy memories of me playing Mario games. My parents never understood much about my hobby so age restrictions were never a problem to me but I wasn't drawn to 18+ games till I was about 16 so no big worries there. (Where I live you can buy an 18+ game when you're 16 years old).

I'd love it if my kids were into video games, but my adult games are a no-go until they're old enough.

 

[Jinxzy]

I use to work at a place that sells games. 7 out of 10 times parents would bring back open games because they didn't understand what the game is, or what is actually in the game. Even some parents thought it was ok that they play these games because they "must have it now tantrum."

That being said I would actually play the game with my child or even play it before them to make sure it was age-appropriate. It would be a fun to play a game with my child then let them play it alone. My father and I played a bunch of games together and it's one of my fondest memories as a child.

I would never in a million years let them play an MMO until they were 17-18 years old. Even let them play online. People online can be crud and say what ever, I don't want my child hearing that. Sure there are some online safe kids games but I want to make sure before they play. Also the kids that play online scream yell and are just plain annoying. Call me old fashion but I want my child to grow up polite and have some morals. I don't want them to be unruly, swearing, and screaming.

 

[EeveeElectro]

Well I played games like GTA (my brother sucked at babysitting ) And I turned out okay. That can't be said for my kids though.
I want mine to be little nerds, taking them to expos, cons and such. I'll let them play games like Pokemon and Mario because I'm not that much into violent games myself. I do like them, I just don't frequently play them, I'd rather sit down with an RPG.
Definitely not playing online either, they can play multi-player with me or their dad.

 

[fleurdust]

If my kids are anything like me, I'd be happy to let them play whatever they want, including online. I played Diablo II online at 11/12, and before that I had happy times ignoring insults of chess players while I beat them. I'd supervise at first I think, try to pass on values of not being a dick and actually being pleasant to other players, if they like online gaming.
I'd probably try to get hold of some of the old consoles, a megadrive or SNES or something, cause I used to seriously love those games.

But, I probably wouldn't be down with buying them their own consoles or computers until they were older, maybe when they have a job so they can contribute themselves to something. They can use the stuff in the house for everyone. Maybe a DS or similar as a gift but nothing more than that.

 

[Naeras]

Teach them moderation like everything else in life.

This.
Letting kids play games is fine. Letting kids play games all the time, however, is not.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I'll let them play M rated games if they show a certain mental maturity showing that they can deal with them. For instance, I'd immediately bar my two young nephew's from most gory games I've got, because they're obnoxious little tits who go all "OMGBLOODDEATHYAYYAYYAY".

Regardless, I'm going to judge M rated games first. As a gamer and expert on my own children I think I'm the best judge on what they should or should not play.

That, and learn them to play in moderation and all that.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

I'm all about the value of video games as learning tools, so if/when I become a parent I'll probably be very permissive - and very present in my kid's gaming life. I like watching others play games almost as much as playing them myself, so being side-seat for kiddo's game time will allow me to spend bonding time with them as well as point out valuable lessons, present thoughtful questions, and otherwise engage them through the video game play (at least until they are older and want nothing to do with hanging out with mom, but by then, hopefully, I'll have shaped the way they view games enough that they'll carry on without me in thinking outside the game as well as within it)