4Real Forums: video games online

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Topic: video games online

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mooreboyz
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Joined: March 16 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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Posted: Nov 19 2010 at 6:56am \| IP Logged

My older 2 boys have been enjoying playing their xbox online with some kids they know. I hear them laughing and talking and I like that they are able to do this with other kids. My problem is that it seems all other parents let their kids do this every night until 5 in the morning! I feel staying up until 12 is quite late enough for 11 amd 13 year old(on weekend). And dh thinks games are only for weekends. The boys get so sad and I feel bad because I like the social part of this. I just find the amount allowed to other kids is crazy!

What are your experiences and rules?

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Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years

allegiance_mom
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Joined: June 26 2007
Location: New York
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Posted: Nov 19 2010 at 7:46pm \| IP Logged

My opinion is that socializing (via any method) until the wee hours is too much for children. Would you let your children stay at a friend's house until midnight? Or let them have friends over until then playing board games?

Our ds who is 12 goes to be at nine, very rarely later.

We only allow our boys a total of one hour of "screen time" per day. This includes computer and TV time. We don't have a game system, but they do play games on iphone / ipad, and that time counts as well. There are some exceptions to this, of course, be we do try to set limits.

My son serves Mass every other Sunday, there is just no way he would be able to be attentive and awake at 8:30 am if I let him stay up til midnight. They both need 10 - 11 hours of sleep a night.

I think games on weekends only is a great idea! We don't do that, but if that is the established rule in your house, I say good for you!

Good luck working this out!

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Allegiance Mom in NY

Wife 17 years
Mom to two boys, 14 and 8, and one pre-born babe in Heaven (Jan 2010)

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mooreboyz
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Joined: March 16 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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Posted: Nov 20 2010 at 7:05am \| IP Logged

Thanks for your input Allegiance. These preteen years can be tough...you want to give them some independence, but still do what is best for them. I have seen what too much screen time does to the kids (emotional zombies) and so if it were up to me there would be 1 hour limits. Dh likes them to feel like they had a blow out fun time and so on the weekends they are allowed to play with their friends until quite late. Then the kids still complain when we tell them to shut it down at midnight. This upsets dh and I tell him to remember that they are kids and that they will push for as much as they can just like a toddler will beg for another cookie. It still can make a parent feel bad because you feel like you have given them so much leniency and they feel like you are being strict.

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Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years

jhigdon
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Joined: Sept 16 2006
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Posted: Nov 23 2010 at 5:29am \| IP Logged

I have a "only on the weekend" policy, and those games (Xbox and/or DS) are off by 8pm. I know many kids who play until the wee hours of the night (and that's from playing all day) and I personally just don't think young kids need to be online or playing games that long.

My older kids just gave it up for Advent (at my pushing).

I'm not a huge fan of video games either so I might not be the best person.

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