Do you let your young kids play Rated M games--or am I out of touch?

[Beauty]

The only game J.C. ever plays is football and I'm not sure of the rating....There is nothing bad on it though its just college football. He LOVES LOVES that game and never gets tired of it...he has a few more E and T rated games but no M but he might as well not have any others because they are never used....

Oh wait, yes they are the Mickey's Magical Driving Adventure where you go through all the park rides...I play that one

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My DS9 and DD7 can't have any M games and can't go to PG13 movies. DS9 doesn't have any T games either.

Lori

 

[sha_lyn]

soon to be 15 DS is just now allowed M games and CD's with us previewing them first. T games were allowed at around 10 or so I guess.

This reminds me of somethign that happened when he was 4. A friend was taking her DS to see Batman when it first came out. She could not believe that I wouldn't take DS to see it. He wasn't allowed R rated movies until 10 or so and that was with us previewing it, (or reading a detailed report on it). I have been pretty lenient about PG 13 with both kids. I rarely see anything in a PG 13 that isn't on TV, except for a few words maybe.

 

[ByTheSea]

DS is almost 10 and has a few select "T"'s but knows no "M"s here or anywhere.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Hi, Kim! I won't let Playstation in my house! There's way too much garbage out there for that system and not enough "E"s. It's great your son was able to tell you that! You should be proud of him. Personally, I'd be talking to that parent. We only have "E"s here, but still...when a friend of my son's is here, I'm extra careful about what they see and hear.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

My kids only have gameboy (ages almost 12,8 and 5) but they only have E games. They swap them back and forth and I don't want the youngest getting a surprise. I suppose it's almost time to let DD#1 try T games but I'll have to check them out first. She just approached me very nervously about whether or not she can have PG-13 DVDs at her birthday party and gave me a list to approve or disapprove!
New Year's Eve 2002 we had a gathering of friends and family and kids were invited. Our friends asked if their sons (then 15 and 10) could bring their playstation to hook up to the basement TV and I said sure, but only E games (there were preteens there, but also several smaller kids down to age 2). She said they only found 2 out of all their games!! But at least she respected our request.
Robin M.

 

[Chipmunk]

Our 9 year old daughter doesn't have a game boy or play station and doesn't complain about it. I hope this doesn't change. Only one friend of hers has a game boy. From looking at all the posts it seems that more boys than girls are playing. Besides she's too busy with girl scouts, karate, basketball, piano and homework. When we're in the car she'll listen to books on tape or occasionally watch a movie on the laptop for a really long road trip.

 

[msdznyduck]

No M games for DS 15 , and DD (almost 14) is not interested in games at all. She has a game boy, but plays rarely. Last year DS was at a friends house, and he brought out some M game to play, and while DS played for a short while, he came home, and said he probably wouldn't be going back over there because his friend only has M games, and he didn't like all the killing, etc. I don;t think he has been there more than 2 or 3 times since, and not to play games.
And NO to R movies .....not at home, in the movies, or elsewhere. I know they probably hear worse at school, but still, most R movies can be trashy,(not all----no flaming, please) and the sex, etc, is not needed for a movie to be a good one. DD's friend and 2 others went to see "Monster", and my DD didn't even ask, knowing my stand on this. We had seen enough previews, and seen Charlize Theron on Oprah, with film clips, and we talked about the movie, and she decided that even if I allowed her to see it, she didn't want to go. Maybe something is sinking into that teenage head!

 

[ListenToCKY]

I've been playing video games since I was four or so, and started playing M rated games around seven. My parents really explained to me that it's just a game and not it's not meant to be acted out in real life. It's stuck with me ever since. It all depends on your child (and your morals too) really. Some can handle it, some can't.

 

[Karel]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
[BThis reminds me of somethign that happened when he was 4. A friend was taking her DS to see Batman when it first came out. She could not believe that I wouldn't take DS to see it. He wasn't allowed R rated movies until 10 or so and that was with us previewing it, (or reading a detailed report on it). I have been pretty lenient about PG 13 with both kids. I rarely see anything in a PG 13 that isn't on TV, except for a few words maybe. [/B]

My 13S wanted to see Along came Polly tonight with friends and I said no. It seemed more R than PG 13. Welcome to Moosepoint was the compromise. Just because he turned 13 doesn't mean he gets to see everything (he thinks it does...) but I'm willing to compromise.

Our across the street neighbor, also 13, had the Batman trilogy in first grade. I just laughed.Why? Why do they need that so young? Last year I had a third grader telling me about the Austin Powers movie - that was scarey.

I have no problem with people making choices for their kids, but they need to understand that I get to make the rules too. I was upset when my son's summer camp showed a R movie. I know I can't monitor everything they do when they're away but I like to know, at least, what they are watching. I know he's played R games but not in our house. We do have some T's like Tony Hawk, sports and adventure games.

 

[tiggersmom2]

First off, let me tell you I do try to keep my kids from horrible things, video games just isn't one of them. I had an aunt who would not let my cousins watch any rated R movies and censored the music they listened to. Well, now my aunt is divorced and both kids still live with her (they are 30 and 27 respectively). Do not get me wrong, I am not downing anyone for restricting their kids, I'm just telling you why I don't. BTW my parents never restricted my two brothers and me and we turned out wonderfully.